The country’s unemployed persons picked up from 3.88 million in August 2021 to 4.25 million resulting to an unemployment rate of 8.9 percent. This unemployment rate was the highest since January 2021.
The labor force participation rate (LFPR) in September 2021 slightly dropped to 63.3 percent from 63.6 percent in August 2021. The drop in LFPR is equivalent to a magnitude of about 269 thousand Filipinos 15 years old and over who were either employed or unemployed.
Employment rate in September 2021 dropped to 91.1 percent from the 91.9 percent reported in August 2021. This translated to a reduction of 642 thousand employed individuals from the 44.23 million total employed in August 2021 to 43.59 million total number employed in the month of September 2021.
Employed persons who worked for 40 hours and more were reported at 63.6 percent of the 43.59 million total employed, 34.9 percent worked for less than 40 hours and those reported with job but not at work were accounted at 1.5 percent in September 2021.
The average weekly hours worked by an employed person in September 2021 was reported at 40.2 hours per week. This was higher than the average weekly hours worked reported in August 2021 at 39.6 hours.
Underemployment rate was estimated at 14.2 percent this September 2021 accounting for 6.18 million underemployed persons out of 43.59 million employed persons. This is the second lowest reported this year following the 12.3 percent underemployment rate in May 2021. The same underemployment rate of 14.2 percent was reported in June 2021.
Visible underemployment rate was registered at 10.1 percent translating to 4.42 million visibly underemployed Filipinos. In August 2021, visible underemployment rate was reported at 10.4 percent.
4.25 million Filipinos unemployed in September: PSA
Visibly underemployed persons are those working less than 40 hours in a week and expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours.
On the other hand, invisibly underemployed or those working at least 40 hours in a week but still expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours, was estimated at 4.1 percent of the total employed individuals. In August 2021, this was registered at 4.2 percent.
By broad industry group, the services sector consistently remained as the dominant employment hub absorbing 57.8 percent of the total employed population in September 2021. The agriculture and the industry sectors contributed 23.5 percent and 18.7 percent, respectively.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.