SWS: 9.6 million Filipinos jobless as of Dec 2022

About 9.6 million of the adult labor force in the Philippines were jobless as of December 2022, according to the latest poll of the Social Weather Survey (SWS).

The SWS reported that adult joblessness is at 21.3% from 18.6% in October and 20.8% in June.

“The estimated numbers of jobless are 9.6 million in December 2022 and 8.8 million in October 2022,” it said.

The percentage stayed highest in Metro Manila at 24.8%, followed by Balance Luzon at 23.1%, the Visayas at 18.6%, and Mindanao at 18.1%.

In which, it brings the area averages for 2022 to 25.8% in Metro Manila, 23.8% in Balance Luzon, 17.0% in the Visayas, and 19.0% in Mindanao.

This shows an improvement compared to 2021, whereas the annual average joblessness fell from 35.0% in Metro Manila, 27.8% in Balance Luzon, and 22.5% in the Visayas, but it stayed at 19.0% in Mindanao.

The survey also found that 11.8% of Filipino families, or an estimated 3 million, experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months.

Meanwhile, joblessness stayed higher among women at 29.7% than men at 15.2%. The resulting average in 2022 was 30.3% among women and 15.5% among men.

Moreover, the joblessness rate also remained highest among the youngest age group.

“As of December 2022, adult joblessness was highest among the 18-to-24-year-olds at 46.7%, followed by the 25-to-34-year-olds at 25.1%, the 35-to-44-year-olds at 20.6%, and those 45 years old and above at 12.7%,” it added.

The Fourth Quarter 2022 Social Weather Survey was conducted from December 10-14, 2022 using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide. —Sherylin Untalan / VAL, GMA Integrated News