The country’s jobless rate remained steady at six percent for the month of June, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
According to the latest Labor Force Survey, the unemployment rate remained the same as May’s six percent, while showing improvement from the 7.7 percent recorded in June last year.
This translates to 2.99 million unemployed Filipinos out of 49.58 million who were in the labor force in June 2022.
The underemployment rate, or the proportion of those already employed but still wanting more work, improved in June at 12.6 percent from 14.5 percent in May and 14.2 percent in the same period a year ago.
Meanwhile, over 1.5 million Filipinos joined the labor force in June 2022 from the same month in 2021, bringing total employment to 46.6 million, with an employment rate of 94 percent.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) pointed said employment also grew across all sectors, particularly in the industry, agriculture and services sectors amidst the easing of restrictions.
“In the near term, we will prioritize the immediate issues of rising inflation, the vulnerability of certain groups to shocks and the pandemic-induced scarring to ensure that growth and employment gains are sustained,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement yesterday.
He added the reopening of the economy, including the resumption of face-to-face schooling, will boost domestic activities and insulate the economy against external headwinds.
“The latest data show a significant increase in the number of workers employed on a full-time basis. While this is a good indication of the improving quality of work in our country, the government should incessantly boost its efforts towards providing an environment conducive to the creation of more and better employment opportunities,” Balisacan said.
The NEDA chief further said the immediate and safe resumption of face-to-face classes is anticipated not only to increase domestic activities but also to prevent future productivity losses.
“As we continue to fully reopen the economy, we must remain vigilant and adhere to minimum health standards to ensure that Filipinos remain healthy and productive. We will also strengthen our health system to ensure that it is able to effectively and quickly respond to health situations as and where needed,” Balisacan said.
“Adjusting to the ‘new normal’ and gradually shifting to an endemic mindset is critical in generating more employment and strengthening our domestic economy,” he added
