MORE workers were unemployed and underemployed in June compared to May, the state statistics bureau said yesterday.
The unemployment rate climbed to 4.5 percent in June from 4.3 percent in the previous month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
This meant that there were 2.33 million jobless workers that month – higher than the 2.17 million who were unemployed in the previous month.
The PSA, however, noted that this was an improvement over the 6 percent unemployment rate in June 2022, which saw 2.99 million workers jobless.
The underemployment rate also climbed to 12 percent in June from 11.7 percent in May, meaning there were 5.87 million workers underemployed that month, from 5.66 million in May.
The PSA noted that this was an improvement over the 12.6 percent underemployment rate in June last year, which saw 5.89 million workers underemployed.
Underemployment, according to the PSA, means that a worker already has a job but is still looking for more job hours or extra work.
The PSA said the services sector continued to employ the most number of workers, accounting for 58.2 percent of total employed.
“The agriculture and industry sectors accounted for 23.8 percent and 18.0 percent share, respectively,” the PSA said.
Year-on-year, the three industries that added the most number of jobs were accommodation and food service activities (612,000); agriculture and forestry (457,000); and wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (358,000).
“May pagtaas sa hog farming. Meron tayong year-on-year increase na mga 173,000,” National Statistician Dennis Mapa said.
“May pagtaas na ang doon sa hogs, so bumabalik na, ang mga probinsya na producers natin ay nag-o-operate na sila. Although of course hindi pa full,” he noted.
He added: “Ang pangalawang nag-contribute ay planting, transplanting, at other transplanting activities, sabi ko nga may dagdag na 169,000; and growing of sugarcane including muscovado.”
Meanwhile the industries which had the highest drop in jobs were: fishing and aquaculture (233,000); manufacturing (99,000); and professional, scientific and technical activities (65,000).
Mapa said the decrease in jobs in the fishing and aquaculture industries followed the closure of as some fish ponds in Regions 3 and 4.
The information and communications industry also lost 45,000 jobs from June 2022 to June 2023.
From May to June, the top 3 industries which added the most jobs were: construction (488,000); agriculture and forestry (469,,000); and administrative and support service activities (308,000).
Meanwhile, the top 3 sub-sectors with the largest monthly drop in jobs were: fishing and aquaculture (575,000); transportation and storage (205,000); and arts, entertainment and recreation (124,000).
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said Filipino workers need to be upskilled to improve employability as well as raise the competitiveness of the country’s workforce.
NEDA called for further investments in technical and vocational education and training centers, digitalization, and innovation facilities. (ABS-CBN News)
