Unemployment, underemployment rates fall in February

MANILA, April 9 ------ The Philippines' unemployment and underemployment rates fell in February, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

The PSA said the country's jobless rate was 5.1 percent in February, which was lower than the 5.8 percent clip in January. This means that 2.66 million workers did not have a job that month. The underemployment rate, meanwhile, also fell to 11.8 percent in February from 13.2 percent in January. This means that 5.84 million workers were underemployed that month. The PSA says workers who already have jobs but are still looking for extra jobs or extra work hours are considered underemployed.

The services sector continued to lead employment, followed by industry and agriculture. PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa cited the call center industry in particular as having boosted hiring during the month. Mapa, however, also said that global headwinds, including volatile oil prices fueled by Middle East tensions, threaten to impact domestic inflation and future hiring.

The data was gathered before the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com