The number of Filipinos without jobs declined further even as underemployment increased on a monthly basis in April, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday.

The PSA said the unemployment rate of 4.5% was lower than the 5.7% posted in April 2022 and the 4.7% logged in March 2023.

This translates to 2.26 million unemployed people in April 2023, a decrease of 506,000 from the 2.76 million unemployed individuals in April 2022.

“To ensure the continuation of this trend, the government affirms its commitment to the unimpeded implementation of economic liberalization reforms and other essential legislation. These efforts will be complemented by comprehensive collaborations among government entities and society as a whole to enhance the employability and productivity of our workforce,” National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement.

He also said that the government can capitalize on digital technologies to foster innovation, upgrade services, and effectively respond to the needs of the workforce.

“Hence, the complete execution of the Philippine Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act is also vital for equipping the workforce with digital technology skills and fostering innovation,” Balisacan said.

The services sector had the largest share of employed persons (61.1%) as of April 2023. It was followed by agriculture (21.9%) and the industry sectors (17.0%), respectively.

Meanwhile, the number of underemployed individuals or employed persons who expressed the desire to have an additional hour of work in their present job, to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work stood at 6.20 million, translating to an underemployment rate of 12.9%.

This was lower than the figure posted in April 2022 (14.0%) but higher than the 11.2% registered in March 2023.