4.25M jobless in September


CONTRIBUTOR. The biggest driver of the net employment loss during the period is agriculture, as typhoon Jolina affected some 30,000 hectares of agricultural land across the regions of Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas. It contributed to around 900,000 employment loss in the sector. / SUNSTAR FILE
CONTRIBUTOR. The biggest driver of the net employment loss during the period is agriculture, as typhoon Jolina affected some 30,000 hectares of agricultural land across the regions of Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas. It contributed to around 900,000 employment loss in the sector. / SUNSTAR FILE



SOME 4.25 million were reported jobless in September from 3.88 million in August, according to the Thursday report, Nov. 4, 2021, of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The increase in jobless count was due to the stringent quarantines implemented in some areas in the country and weather disturbances, affecting agriculture during the month.

PSA said the unemployment rate increased from 8.1 percent in August to 8.9 percent in September 2021.

The labor force participation rate also marginally declined from 63.6 percent to 63.3 percent in the same period.

“These results were expected as many parts of the country remained under stringent and blanket quarantines for most of the survey period. In particular, the modified enhanced community quarantine was extended in the National Capital Region (NCR) up to Sept. 15,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua in a statement.

The higher unemployment rate, combined with the lower labor force participation rate, led to a net employment loss of 642,000.

The biggest driver of the net employment loss during the period was agriculture, as typhoon Jolina affected some 30,000 hectares of agricultural land across the regions of Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas, and contributed to the around 900,000 employment loss in the sector.

This decline came after the sector regained 1.9 million employment in August.

Meanwhile, employment increased by 414,000 in the services sector, mostly driven by wholesale and retail trade, tempering the net employment loss in September.

Underemployment also continued to decrease from 14.7 percent in August to 14.2 percent in September, as more people find more productive work.

Moreover, employment prospects remain promising as the country shifts to granular lockdowns.

Chua said better labor outcomes in October can be expected when the country sees the full impact of the implementation of granular lockdowns in NCR. This strategy has been effective in bringing down cases from its peak in early September, he said.

“Overall, the economy has generated 1.1 million employment above the pre-pandemic level. This signals the Philippines’ continuing recovery. We look forward to the expansion of the alert level and granular lockdown system to the whole country to recover more jobs and livelihoods,” said the Neda chief.

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