Jobs increasing in the Philippines

More Filipinos have found jobs as the number of employed persons in July 2007 rose to 33.3 million.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) said this has placed the employment rate at 92.2 percent, higher from last year''s rate of 91.9 percent, thus placing the unemployment rate at 7.8 percent in July.

Five regions have a high employment rate, with 96 for every 100 of their labor force reported as employed in July 2007.

These are Cagayan Valley (96.2 percent), Zamboanga Peninsula (96.1 percent), SOCCSKSARGEN (95.9 percent), Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (95.7 percent) and MIMAROPA (95.6 percent).

The National Capital Region (NCR) (87.0 percent) and Central Luzon (88.5 percent) both registered low employment rate.

Out of the estimated 56.9 million population 15 years old and over in July 2007, approximately 36.2 million were in the labor force. These numbers translate into a labor force participation rate of 63.6 percent, lower than last year''s figure of 64.6 percent.

Half of the total employed persons (49.9 percent) were in the services sector. Around one-third (34.5 percent) were in the agriculture sector; the rest (15.6 percent) were in the industry sector.

The laborers and unskilled workers comprised the largest occupation group, accounting for 31.5 percent of the total employed population. Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen were the next largest group, comprising 18.0 percent of the total employed persons.

NSO said the employed persons fall into any of these three categories: wage and salary workers, own account workers and unpaid family workers.

Wage and salary workers are those who work for private establishments, government or government corporations and those who work with pay in ownfamily operated farm or business.

Of the total 33.3 million employed persons in July 2007, more than half (53.1 percent) were wage and salary workers with those working for private establishments contributing the largest share — 39.1 percent of the total employed.

Those working for the government or government corporations accounted for 8.0 percent; the self-employed, 31.3 percent; proprietors, 4.3 percent; and the unpaid family workers, 11.2 percent.

Employed persons are classified as either fulltime workers or part-time workers. Full-time workers are those who work for 40 hours or more while parttime workers, less than 40 hours. In July 2007, for every three employed persons, two were full time workers (66.1 percent) while one was a part-time worker (33.2 percent).

NSO said employed persons who want or desire additional hours of work are considered underemployed.

The number of underemployed persons in July 2007 was estimated at 7.3 million. This estimate placed the underemployment rate at 22.0 percent compared to last year''s estimate of 23.4 percent.

About half of the underemployed were reported as visibly underemployed, or had been working for less than 40 hours a week.

Underemployed persons working in the agriculture sector accounted for 44.4 percent of the total underemployed in July 2007.

Those in the services sector accounted for 40.3 percent, while those in the industry sector, 15.3 percent.

The number of unemployed persons in July 2007 was reported at 2.8 million, resulting to an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent.

Two regions recorded a double-digit unemployment rate, namely, National Capital Region (NCR) at 13.1 percent and Central Luzon at 11.5 percent.

For every 10 unemployed, six are males and four are females. Unemployed persons who had attained high school level comprised 45.5 percent of the total unemployed; while those who had reached college level, 39.4 percent.