‘Metrics for underemployed more accurate’

MANILA, Philippines—To the public, the news that more than one out five Filipinos are underemployed is more alarming than the news that less than one out of 10 are unemployed.

This is according to the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES), which says that data on underemployment gives a better picture of the Philippine labor market than unemployment figures do.

Based on the latest Labor Force Survey by the National Statistics Office, 23 percent of working age (15 years and older) Filipinos who are actively seeking jobs are underemployed. At the same time, 7 percent is unemployed.

In a new report titled “Beyond the Unemployment Figures,” the BLES said that the International Labor Organization has long recognized that unemployment statistics have more relevance in industrial countries than in developing ones.

In industrialized countries, “the labor market is oriented towards paid employment and the channels for the exchange of labor market information exist and are widely used,” BLES said.

“The same, however, cannot be said for developing countries particularly in economies where agriculture remains dominant or is a significant sector and where the labor market is characterized by a high prevalence of self-employment and employment of unpaid workers,” it added.