Unemployment down as fewer Filipinos look for jobs

Fewer Filipinos were unemployed in July but partly because also a smaller number looked for work due to lower expectations of landing jobs due to the prolonged pandemic.

The results of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) quarterly labor force survey (LFS) in July released on Tuesday showed that the number of jobless Filipinos dipped to 3.07 million from 4.14 million in April and 4.57 million in July last year.

As such, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 percent in July—the lowest since COVID-19 lockdowns were first imposed and impacted on jobs in April last year, and down from 8.7 percent a quarter ago and 10 percent a year ago.

However, the labor force—Filipinos aged 15 and above who had jobs or were jobless but looking for employment—dipped to 44.74 million from 47.41 million in April. July’s labor force population was also lower than a year ago’s 45.87 million.

Despite a higher employment rate of 93.1 percent in July compared to April’s 91.3 percent, the number of employed Filipinos was a lower 41.67 million during the July LFS round compared to 43.27 million a quarter ago.

It did not help that the number and rate of underemployed —those seeking longer working hours and higher-paying work than their current job—climbed to 8.69 million and 20.9 percent, respectively, in July.

The underemployment rates in April this year and July last year were lower—17.2 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively, equivalent to 7.45 million and 7.14 million workers.

In the months before July, the monthly LFS showed that the labor force participation and even underemployment were on the decline as the economy gradually reopened and more age groups were allowed to go out and find jobs.

However, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua told the Inquirer that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases blamed on the more infectious Delta strain might be deterring job-seekers.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa told a press conference that 7 percent of the July LFS respondents or about 2.08 million Filipinos said they did not look for work due to COVID-19.

Some of them said it was difficult to find a job anyway during these harder times wrought by the pandemic, Mapa said.

—Ben O. de Vera INQ