Fewer jobless people in February - PSA

Metro Manila, Philippines - Fewer people were jobless in February month-on-month driven by more hires in the services sector, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Tuesday, April 8,

PSA data showed 1.94 million jobless Filipinos, while those seeking more working hours to earn higher also went down to 4.96 million, or an underemployment rate of 10.1 percent in February from January’s 13.3 percent.

Meanwhile, 49.15 million people were employed, or a 96.2 percent employment rate, higher than the 95.7 percent in January.

Breaking down the numbers, around 30.29 million people were in the services sector, having a 61.6 percent share in the total employment number. Agriculture and industry had 20.1 percent and 18.3 percent share, respectively.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa said the “accommodation and food service activities” subsector had the largest year-on-year increase in employment last month, particularly in restaurant and mobile food service activities, short-term accommodation activities, and event-catering.

He also said there were higher figures in hiring workers for political organizations.

“May mga core areas pa rin tayo, like ‘yung ating services sector, ‘yung wholesale and retail trade, particularly ‘yung sa food and accommodation service activities, so, mas malaki doon ‘yung increase,” he said in a news conference.

[Translation: We still have core areas where the increases are larger such as the services sector, wholesale and retail trade, particularly the food and accommodation service activities.]

“While mayroong [there are] increases because of the election season, there are still other areas wherein it also contributed a relatively large number of employed persons,” he added.