THE services sector continues to be the biggest employer in the country according to the preliminary data of the April 2017 Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Data from the agency showed that of the more than 40 million employed here in the country, as of April 2017, 55.4 percent are in the services sector, this is a drop from the 56.2 percent in the same period last year. The services sector is followed by agriculture (26.1 percent) and industry (18.5 percent).
Of those working in the services sector, 35.3 percent are working in wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehichles and motorcycles. This was followed by transportation and storage (13.9 percent) and other services (11.7 percent). According to PSA, other services "includes activities of households as employers and undifferentiated goods and services-producing activities of households for own use."
The remaining percentage in the services sector are working at public administration and defense, compulsory social security (10.1 percent); accommodation and food service activities (7.6 percent); administrative and support service activities (6.7 percent); education (5.1 percent); financial and insurance activities (2.3 percent); human health and social work activities (2.2 percent); information and communication (1.9 percent); arts, entertainment, and recreation (1.5 percent); professional, scientific, and technical activities (1.1 percent); and real estate activities (0.8 percent).
Meanwhile, the agriculture sector saw a growth in employment to 26.1 percent in April 2017 from 25.5 percent in same period last year. Majority of those working in this sector are those who are into agriculture, hunting, and forestry at 88.2 percent while the remaining 11.8 percent are into fishing.
As for the industry sector, employment increased to 18.5 percent from 18.2 percent. Of those working in this sector, 47.7 percent are working in construction while 47.5 percent are working in manufacturing. The remaining percentage are employed under mining and quarrying (3 percent); electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (1 percent); and water supply sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities (0.8 percent).
Meanwhile, in terms of occupation, 26.8 percent of those who are employed are working in elementary occupations. The 2012 Philippine Standard Occupational Classification (PSOC) defines elementary occupations are jobs that "involve the performance of simple and routine tasks which may require the use of handheld tools and considerable physical effort."
"Managers comprised the second largest occupation group (16.3 percent), followed by service and sales workers (15 percent), and skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers (13.5 percent) in April 2017," PSA said in a statement.