NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
SWS: PH Joblessness At 19%, Still Incomplete Recovery To Pre-Pandemic Levels
Photo credit: DOLE
The unemployment rate in the Philippines as of March this year stood at 19% or approximately 8.7 million Filipino adults in the labor force, according to a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
SWS said that this was 2.3 points below the 21.3% in December 2022 and 7 points below the 26.0% in April 2022. However, it was still 1.5 points above the 17.5% in December 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic
The survey also found the Labor Force Participation Rate at 62.4%, or an estimated 45.9 million. This figure was slightly lower than the December 2022 rate of 62.6%, with an estimated 45.2 million people involved in the labor force at that time.
The decline in unemployment was attributed to reduced joblessness in various regions across the country, except for Mindanao.
In March 2023, the highest joblessness rate was observed in Balance Luzon at 21.7%, followed by Mindanao at 19.0%, Metro Manila at 17.5%, and the Visayas at 13.5%.
When compared to December 2022, joblessness decreased in all areas except for Mindanao, where it remained relatively unchanged at 18.1%.
The survey findings indicated a downward trend in unemployment since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, where joblessness reached 45.5%. Subsequently, the rate has steadily decreased, reaching as low as 18.6% in October 2022.
The survey also highlighted the impact of joblessness on hunger levels within Filipino families. Within the past three months, around 9.8% of Filipino families, equivalent to approximately 2.7 million households, experienced involuntary hunger – being hungry and not having anything to eat – at least once in the past three months.
The incidence of hunger was slightly higher among families with jobless adults compared to those with employed members.
Furthermore, the survey revealed disparities in joblessness based on gender, age, educational attainment, and geographical location.
Women faced a higher joblessness rate of 30.2% compared to men at 11.6%.
Among different age groups, the 18-24-year-old bracket had the highest joblessness rate at 36.0%, followed by the 25-34-year-olds at 23.8%. Meanwhile, individuals aged 45 and above faced a joblessness rate of 15.9%, and the 35-44-year-olds at 11.7%.
In terms of educational attainment, junior high school graduates experienced the highest joblessness rate at 23.3%, while college graduates had the lowest rate at 10.5%.
Urban areas recorded higher joblessness rates compared to rural areas, with rates of 21.6% and 14.6% respectively. Notably, the gap between urban and rural joblessness widened to 7.0 points in March 2023.
The survey defined unemployed individuals as those who voluntarily left their previous jobs, individuals seeking employment for the first time, and those who lost their jobs due to uncontrollable economic circumstances. The labor force, as defined by the survey, encompassed adults aged 18 and above who were either currently employed or actively seeking employment.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews from March 26 to 29, 2023. It involved 1,200 adult participants nationwide, 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
SWS said that this was 2.3 points below the 21.3% in December 2022 and 7 points below the 26.0% in April 2022. However, it was still 1.5 points above the 17.5% in December 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic
The survey also found the Labor Force Participation Rate at 62.4%, or an estimated 45.9 million. This figure was slightly lower than the December 2022 rate of 62.6%, with an estimated 45.2 million people involved in the labor force at that time.
The decline in unemployment was attributed to reduced joblessness in various regions across the country, except for Mindanao.
In March 2023, the highest joblessness rate was observed in Balance Luzon at 21.7%, followed by Mindanao at 19.0%, Metro Manila at 17.5%, and the Visayas at 13.5%.
When compared to December 2022, joblessness decreased in all areas except for Mindanao, where it remained relatively unchanged at 18.1%.
The survey findings indicated a downward trend in unemployment since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, where joblessness reached 45.5%. Subsequently, the rate has steadily decreased, reaching as low as 18.6% in October 2022.
The survey also highlighted the impact of joblessness on hunger levels within Filipino families. Within the past three months, around 9.8% of Filipino families, equivalent to approximately 2.7 million households, experienced involuntary hunger – being hungry and not having anything to eat – at least once in the past three months.
The incidence of hunger was slightly higher among families with jobless adults compared to those with employed members.
Furthermore, the survey revealed disparities in joblessness based on gender, age, educational attainment, and geographical location.
Women faced a higher joblessness rate of 30.2% compared to men at 11.6%.
Among different age groups, the 18-24-year-old bracket had the highest joblessness rate at 36.0%, followed by the 25-34-year-olds at 23.8%. Meanwhile, individuals aged 45 and above faced a joblessness rate of 15.9%, and the 35-44-year-olds at 11.7%.
In terms of educational attainment, junior high school graduates experienced the highest joblessness rate at 23.3%, while college graduates had the lowest rate at 10.5%.
Urban areas recorded higher joblessness rates compared to rural areas, with rates of 21.6% and 14.6% respectively. Notably, the gap between urban and rural joblessness widened to 7.0 points in March 2023.
The survey defined unemployed individuals as those who voluntarily left their previous jobs, individuals seeking employment for the first time, and those who lost their jobs due to uncontrollable economic circumstances. The labor force, as defined by the survey, encompassed adults aged 18 and above who were either currently employed or actively seeking employment.
The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews from March 26 to 29, 2023. It involved 1,200 adult participants nationwide, 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
May 26, 2023
