Jobless rate down to 3.6% in November —PSA

MANILA, Philippines  —There were fewer unemployed Filipinos in November last year, as the seasonal surge in economic activity during the Holiday season triggered increased hiring.

A nationwide survey of 11,233 households showed there were 1.83 million Filipinos who were either jobless or out of business in November, down from 2.09 million recorded in October, the PSA reports.

That translated to an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, down from 4.2 percent in the preceding month.

READ: PH unemployment rate down to 4.2% in Oct

On an annual basis, the industries with the largest increase in employment were agriculture and forestry, construction, and transportation and storage.

Meanwhile, there were 5.79 million people who were employed but sought additional working hours in November, a tad lower than 5.60 million in October.

READ: PH unemployment rate may drop in Q4 2023 amid holidays – economist

That yielded an underemployment rate of 11.7 percent, unchanged from the previous month.