Jobless, underemployment rates fell in August

MANILA  -The number of unemployed Filipinos dipped in August while the quality of available jobs seemed to have improved as fewer people looked for additional working hours, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.

The PSA, citing a nationwide survey, said Friday there were 2.21 million Filipinos who were either jobless or out of business in August, translating to an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent.

This was lower than the 2.27 million unemployed persons recorded in July, when the jobless rate was at 4.8 percent.

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said higher retail trade activities related to school reopenings and an increase in agriculture jobs contributed to the decline in joblessness.

At the same time, PSA data showed there were 5.63 million Filipinos who sought additional working hours to augment their income, equivalent to an underemployment rate of 11.7 percent in August.

This was significantly lower than the 7.10 million underemployed persons in July, when the rate was at 15.9 percent.