GUIMARAS – The province’s employment rate in 2022 continued to pick up, surpassing its pre-pandemic levels, based on the preliminary results of the Annual Provincial Labor Market Statistics of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic hit, the employment rate of Guimaras dropped to 92.0 percent in 2020 from 96.2 and 96.3 percent in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Then a constant increment was noted from 2021 with 95.9 percent until 2022 with 96.7 percent, the highest rate recorded since 2018,” Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said.
The total number of Guimarasnons employed in 2022 was pegged at 78,000 — higher than 72,410 in 2021 and 65,800 in 2020.
The unemployment rate in 2022 was also reduced to 3.4 percent from 4.1 percent in 2021 and 8.0 percent in 2020.
“Comparing the unemployment results from pre-pandemic levels, the 2022 unemployment rate is the lowest since 2018. Only in 2020 did the unemployment rate in Guimaras soar to an 8.0 percent high due to COVID-19 pandemic ill effects that affected businesses,” Losare added.
Unemployed Guimarasnons in 2022 reached 3,000 — slightly less than the 3,090 in 2021 and a significant decrease from 5,710 in 2020.
The labor force participation rate (LFPR) of Guimaras in 2022, at 62.1 percent, translated to about 81,000 individuals aged 15 years and over who were either employed or unemployed.
“The 62.1% LFPR was higher than the reported rate in 2021 with 58.7 percent, also increased by 9,490 individuals of the total labor force population in 2020 at 71,510 Guimarasnons”, Losare said.
The underemployment rate, meanwhile, was 14.1 percent. Underemployed individuals are employed persons who have expressed their desire to have additional work hours in their present job, wanting more jobs or a new job with long work hours.
“The 14.1 percent was higher than the reported underemployment rate in 2021 at 6.9 percent and 12.9 percent in 2020,” Losare said./PN
