(Eagle News)–The employment rate in the country was at 91.9 percent in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Thursday, Sept. 30.
According to the PSA’s August 2021 Labor Force Survey, the 91.9 percent translates to 44.23 million people employed out of the 48.12 million individuals who comprise the labor force.
The PSA said this was higher than the employment rate in April 2021–pegged at 91.3 percent– when the National Capital Region Plus Bubble was under an enhanced community quarantine.
The country’s unemployment rate in August, meanwhile, was at 8.1 percent, or an increase of 1.2 percentage points from the 6.9 percent reported a month ago.
That unemployment rate was lower than the rates reported in January, February, and April this year but was higher than the rates reported in March 2021 (7.1 percent), May and June 2021 (7.7 percent), and July 2021 (6.9 percent).
Underemployment rate was estimated at 14.7 percent, the third-lowest reported this year, apart from the 12.3 percent in May 2021 and 14.2 percent in June 2021.
The services sector still dominated employment, with 56 percent of the total employed persons in August 2021.
The agriculture and the industry sectors contributed 25.1 percent and 18.9 percent, respectively.
The top five subsectors with the biggest increase in employment from July to August 2021 and their respective increases were the following:
a. Agriculture and forestry (1.78 million);
b. Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (992 thousand);
c. Manufacturing (169 thousand);
d. Other service activities (148 thousand)
e. Fishing and aquaculture (128 thousand).
The top five subsectors with the biggest drop from July to August, according to the PSA, are the following:
a. Education (-238 thousand);
b. Administrative and support service activities (-183 thousand);
c. Professional scientific technical activities (-110 thousand);
d. Construction (-85 thousand); and
e. Human health and social work activities (-83 thousand).
Among men and women, labor force participation rate in August 2021 was higher for men (75.8 percent) than for women (51.4 percent).
Similarly, employment rate was higher among men at 92.1 percent than among women at 91.7 percent.
Underemployment rate among men (16.5 percent) was also higher than among women (11.8 percent).