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Release Date :
Reference Number :
2022-153

More than 50 percent of the population 15 years old and over are in the labor force

The number of persons who were in the labor force was recorded at 44.90 million of the estimated 75.57 million population 15 years old and over in July 2021 (Table 3). This translates to a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 59.4 percent, which means that 594 in every 1000 of the population aged 15 years and over were either employed or unemployed. Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had the highest LFPR with 64.6 percent, followed by Region II (Cagayan Valley) with 64.2 percent. Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) had the lowest LFPR with 49.2 percent. (Table 1 and Figure 1)

 

Employment rate registers at 92.8 percent

The total number of employed persons was accounted at 41.67 million. (Table 3) The employment   rate or the proportion of employed persons to total labor force was estimated at 92.8 percent. (Table 1)

Region II (Cagayan Valley) had  the highest employment  rate  with  95.8  percent.  Seven of the 17 regions, namely:  Region III (Central Luzon) (92.7%), BARMM (92.7%), Region VI (Western Visayas) (92.6%), CALABARZON Region (91.9%), Region V (Bicol Region) (91.6%), Region VII (Central Visayas) (91.0%) and National Capital Region (NCR) (90.9%) had employment rates lower than the national figure of 92.8 percent. (Table 1 and Figure 2)

 

More males than females among the employed

Of the estimated 41.67 million employed persons in July 2021, 61.1 percent or 611 in every 1000 were males, while the remaining 38.9 percent were females. (Table 3)

Among age groups, the largest number of employed persons was in age group 25 to 34 years old which accounted for 28.2 percent of the total employed. The 35 to 44 age group comprised the second largest group (24.1%), followed by the 45 to 54 age group (18.9%). The same pattern can be observed among males and females. (Table 3 and Figure 3)

 

More than half of employed persons are in the services sector

By broad industry group, the services sector remained as the dominant employment hub absorbing 58.1 percent of the 41.67 million employed Filipinos in July 2021. The same sector employed 54.8 percent of the total employed in July 2020. (Table 4 and Figure 4)

In the agriculture sector, the combined share of agriculture, forestry, and hunting and fishing and aquaculture subsectors was placed at 22.0 percent in July 2021, while it was registered at 26.3 percent in July 2020. Moreover, the share of the industry sector to total employment was 19.9 percent in July 2021 and 18.8 percent in July 2020. (Table 4 and Figure 4)

Among the workers in the services sector in July 2021, those engaged in wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles made up the largest share at 20.5 percent.  (Table 4)

 

More than one-fourth of employed persons are in elementary occupations

Across occupation groups, workers in elementary occupations made up the largest share of 27.7 percent of the total employed. Service and sales workers were the second largest group of workers with 19.9 percent. Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers were the third largest group accounting for 11.3 percent. (Table 5 and Figure 5)

 

More than sixty percent of employed persons are wage and salary workers

Employed persons can be categorized as wage and salary workers, self-employed without any paid employee, employer in own family-operated farm or business, and worked without pay in own family-operated farm or business.

Wage and salary workers are those who work for private households, private establishments, government and government-controlled corporations and those who work with pay in own family-operated farm or business. In July 2021, wage and salary workers were registered at 67.1 percent while it was 60.4 percent in July 2020. Those who worked in private establishments made up 53.0 percent in July 2021. In July 2020, this was registered at 47.1 percent. Wage and salary workers in the government and government-controlled corporations accounted for 9.6 percent in July 2021 from 9.2 percent in the same month of 2020. (Table 6)

Classified according to broad industry group, 57.4 percent of unpaid family workers were in the agriculture sector while 59.4 percent of wage and salary workers were in the services sector.  Further, more than half (59.7%) of self- employed without any paid employee were in the services sector. (Table 7 and Figure 6)

 

More than half of employed persons worked more than 40 hours and over in a week

Workers who worked at least 40 hours in a week comprised 68.6 percent of the total employed persons in July 2021. Specifically, those who worked for 40 to 48 hours made up a larger proportion of 48.8 percent, and the rest (19.9%) are those who worked more than 48 hours. On the other hand, 30.8 percent of the total employed persons worked less than 40 hours. Comparing July 2020 to July 2021, there was an observed increase in the percentage of workers who worked at least 40 hours in a week.

Mean hours worked per week increased from 38.2 hours in July 2020 to 41.7 hours in July 2021. (Table 8)

 

Underemployment rate is higher at 21.0 percent

Underemployed persons were estimated at 8.77 million in July 2021. This accounted for 21.0 percent of the total employed persons (Table 1).  Underemployed persons are employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job or have a new job with longer working hours.

Figure 7 shows that more than half (50.7%) of the underemployed persons were in the services sector, followed by agriculture sector with a share of 28.8 percent. Moreover, the industry sector had the lowest share in the number of underemployed at 20.5 percent.

Visibly underemployed, or those employed persons who had been working for less than 40 hours a week accounted for 51.8 percent of the total underemployed persons. Among the underemployed persons in the agriculture sector, 68.2 percent were visibly underemployed. (Table 9)

 

Unemployment rate reaches 7.2 percent

Of the total 44.90 million economically active population 15 years old and over, 3.23 million were unemployed, which resulted to the country's unemployment rate at 7.2 percent in July 2021. (Tables 1 and 2)

Unemployment rates in National Capital Region (NCR) (9.1%), Region VII (Central Visayas Region) (9.0%), Region V (Bicol Region) (8.4%), CALABARZON (8.1%), Region VI (Western Visayas) (7.4%), Region III (Central Luzon) (7.3%) and BARMM (7.3%) were higher than the national figure of 7.2 percent. (Table 1 and Figure 8)

The total unemployed person was highest in the age group 25 to 34 years old at 33.6 percent.  More males (57.0%) were unemployed than females (43.0%) in July 2021. (Table 3)

In terms of educational attainment, the highest percentage of unemployed persons was observed among junior high school graduates or high school graduates from the old curriculum at 26.9 percent, followed by college graduates with 19.8 percent. (Table 10)

 

Majority of persons not in the labor force are women

Forty percent or 30.67 million Filipinos aged 15 years old and over in July 2021 were not in the labor force. These include housewives, students, persons with disability, and those who have retired from their employment. Majority (65.3%) were females, while the rest (34.7%) were males. (Table 3)

By age group, 44.1 percent of persons not in the labor force were in age group 15-24 years old. (Table 3 and Figure 9)

 

 

 

 

 

1. The labor force population in July 2021 was estimated at 44.90 million. This translates to a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 59.4 percent.

2. Total employed persons were approximately 41.67 million, registering a national employment rate of 92.8 percent.

3. By sector, more than half (58.1%) of the total employed were in the services sector,  22.0 percent were in the agriculture sector, and 19.9 percent were in the industry sector.

4. Among occupation groups, workers in elementary occupations made up the largest percentage of employed persons as they comprised 27.7 percent of the 41.67 million total employed population.

5. Unemployed persons reached 3.23 million resulting to unemployment rate of 7.2 percent in July 2021.

6. Underemployment rate was estimated at 21.0 percent.

 

 

(Sgd.) DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

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