THE Philippine Statistics Authority said that the number of unemployed Filipinos increased in March, mainly due to the ongoing effects of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon and the African swine fever (ASF) on the agriculture sector.
According to data from the PSA, they recorded some 2 million unemployed Filipinos in March.
This translates to an unemployment rate of 3.9%, as based on the labor force of 51.15 million Filipinos aged 15 and above or a labor force participation rate of 65.3%, according to the PSA.
Likewise the number of unemployed individuals is at 2.42 million in March 2023, while it was 1.80 million in February.
Employment up
On the other hand the PSA also noted that the number of employed persons is at 49.15 million in March 2024, equivalent to an employment rate of 96.1%, which compares with the 48.95 million in February with a 96.5% employment rate, and the 48.58 million in March 2023 with an employment rate of 95.3%.
They said that the biggest declines were recorded in agriculture and forestry which fell by 318,000.
This is followed by transportation and storage by 292,000; construction by 214,000; administrative and support service activities by 118,000; and human health and social work activities by 75,000.
National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa explained that the decline is strongly attributed to a lower production, amid the heightened levels of heat with the ongoing El Niño.
“Ang isa sa malaking naapektuhan in terms of employment ay ‘yung agriculture sector, kasama na rin ‘yung fisheries… Ito ay talagang related to planting, harvesting, growing,” Mapa said.
“In the past, talagang may ganon kasi related ito doon sa production naman so siyempre ‘pag bumababa, ‘yung ating operators ay nagbabawas din ng workers,” he added.
He said that data showed that there is a 202,000 decline in hog farming for the month, which has also been pestered by the ASF.
“Ito ‘yung continuous ‘yung problem ng ASF. May mga probinsya na nagkaroon ng ASF kaya nagkaroon ng reduction sa production nila,” he said.
Meanwhile, underemployed individuals — those seeking additional working hours or to have additional jobs — went down to 5.39 million, which is equivalent to an underemployment rate of 11.0%.
