THE employment rate in Mandaue City in 2023 hit 95.6 percent, according to the Public Employment Services Office (Peso).
It expects the number to go up by the end of 2024.
Musoline Suliva, head of Peso, told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, Aug. 7, that in 2023, the unemployment rate stood at 4.4 percent, while the underemployment rate was 12 percent.
This aligns closely with the January 2024 report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which indicated that Central Visayas had an estimated employment rate of 94.9 percent, an unemployment rate of 5.1 percent and an underemployment rate of 12 percent.
Unemployment refers to people who are not employed at all, people who actively seeking work but unable to find any and people who are not earning income from employment.
Underemployment refers to people who are employed but not fully utilized, people who are working fewer hours than desired, people who are in jobs below their skill or education level and people who often earn less than their potential.
Enhanced development
Meanwhile, the latest statistics paint a promising picture for the city.
Suliva pointed out the importance of further increasing the employment rate, highlighting the potential for enhanced city development.
“Although the current rate is already high, further increases would significantly boost the city’s development,” Suliva said in Cebuano.
The working population in 2023 was estimated to be over 200,000.
With the city’s metro population estimated at 425,000 in 2024, Suliva is hopeful that the working population will continue to grow and the unemployment rate will even more decrease.
He said Peso is taking proactive steps to support this goal by collaborating with the 27 barangays in the city.
He said they are focused on information dissemination and offsite initiatives aimed at reaching more job seekers and individuals who are uncertain about where to apply for jobs.
He said barangays will play an important role by referring applicants to Peso for assistance, ensuring that more residents have access to employment opportunities.
Suliva pointed out that many of the unemployed are out-of-school youths aged 18 to 25. This demographic remains a key focus for Peso’s outreach and support programs.
Suliva also referred to a form of underemployment where people who already have a job continue to seek additional employment, or where there is a lack of consistency in work patterns. This situation results in an unreliable employment rate, he said.
He said his vision for Mandaue City is clear: achieving an even higher employment rate by the end of 2024, which would not only enhance the economic stability of the city but also uplift the quality of life for its residents. / CAV