Increasing number of employed Filipinos want to work even more

The country's unemployment rate in July this year was at 7.0 percent — almost unchanged from the 7.1 percent rate in the same month a year ago, according to the National Statistics Office's July 2012 Labor Force Survey. The survey also showed an estimate of 37.6 million employed persons out of a labor force of 40.4 million, or 93 percent employed. The labor force are those who were either employed or unemployed out of the 63.1 million aged 15 years and over in July this year — a labor force participation rate of 64.0 percent. The LFPR in July 2011 was 64.3 percent. Underemployment The number of underemployed persons in July 2012 was estimated at 8.5 million, placing the underemployment rate at 22.7 percent Underemployed persons are those who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job, or to have additional jobs, or to have a new job with longer working hours. The underemployment rate in July 2011 was estimated at 19.1 percent. Visibly underemployed persons, or those working less than 40 hours during the reference week in July 2012, accounted for 53.5 percent of the total underemployed.   Those working for 40 hours or more accounted for 45.4 percent. A large percentage of the underemployed were working in the services sector (42.5 percent) and agriculture sector (41.5 percent). The underemployed in the industry sector accounted for 16.0 percent. Unemployment by region The National Capital Region posted the highest unemployment rate at 9.9 percent. Cagayan Valley had the lowest rate at 3.2 percent, followed by Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) and Zamboanga Peninsula at 4.1 percent each. The LFPR was highest in Northern Mindanao at 71.0 percent, while the lowest was reported in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 54.5 percent. By gender Among the unemployed, 62.1 percent were males and 37.9 percent were females. By age More than half of those unemployed (51.2 percent) belong to the 15-24 age group. By educational attainment One-third (33.3 percent) of unemployed persons were high school graduates, 13.9 percent were college undergraduates, and 19.2 percent were college graduates. By industry Those who worked in the services sector comprised 53.3 percent of the estimated employed persons, with the largest section (18.6 percent of the total) belonging to wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles. Those employed in agriculture sector comprise the second largest group, accounting for 30.9 percent of the total employed. About 16.0 percent of the total employed work in the industry sector, with the manufacturing (8.5 percent of the total employed) and construction (6.1 percent of the total employed) sub-sectors having the highest proportions. Among the major occupation groups, laborers and unskilled workers contributed the largest group, indicating 33.2 percent of the total employed persons in July 2012. Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen came next with a share of 13.7 percent of the total employed. By employment category Wage and salary workers work for private households, private establishments, government or government-controlled corporations, and those who work with pay in own family-operated farm or business. Majority (59.1 percent) of the total employed population in July 2012 were wage and salary workers, with the largest percentage (45.4 percent of total employed) working for private establishments. Those working for the government or government-controlled corporations accounted for only 8.4 percent, while those working for private households comprised 4.9 percent. In July 2011, wage and salary workers accounted for 56.3 percent of the total employed. Self-employed workers without any paid employee constituted 27.5 percent of the total employed. Employers in own family-operated farm or business made up 4.0 percent, and unpaid family workers accounted for 9.4 percent, of the total employed. By type of employment Employed persons are classified as either full-time workers or part-time workers. Full-time workers are those who work for 40 hours or more while part-time workers work for less than 40 hours. Of the total employed persons in July 2012, 65.6 percent were working full-time while 33.7 percent were part-time workers. — BM/HS, GMA News