Summary:
 

* Estimates for January 2004 are preliminary results and are subject to change.

• The January 2004 Labor Force Survey results recorded a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 67.2 percent.
• The unemployment rate was estimated at 11.0 percent in January this year. Last year�s unemployment rate was 10.6 percent.
  • About 46.0 percent of the unemployed were 15�24 years old.
• The national employment rate was recorded at 89.0 percent in January this year. A year ago, it was estimated at 89.4 percent.
• Employed persons in agricultural sector reached 11.1 million, while those in the industry and services sectors were 5.0 and 15.3 million, respectively.
• Underemployment rate was recorded at 17.5 percent in January this year.

 
HIGHLIGHTS

Of the population 15 years old and over, there were those who were in the labor force and those who were not...

• The number of persons in the labor force, or those who are either employed or unemployed was registered at 35.4 million, resulting to a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 67.2 percent in January 2004.
• The highest LFPR was recorded in Northern Mindanao at 74.8 percent and lowest in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 57.9 percent.

The unemployed persons in January 2004...

• The number of unemployed persons in January 2004 was recorded at 3.9 million. This resulted to the unemployment rate of 11.0 percent. Last year�s estimate was 3.6 million or 10.6 percent.
• Of the 3.9 million unemployed persons, 61.2 percent were males while 38.8 percent were females.
• About 46.0 percent were young unemployed, that is, those within the ages of 15 to 24 years old. There were 25.5 percent who were 25 to 34 years old. The rest of the unemployed (28.5 percent) were aged 35 years and older.
• Across regions, the National Capital Region recorded the highest unemployment rate of 16.9 percent.
• Other regions which exhibited a double-digit unemployment rate include Region IV-A (Calabarzon) at 13.7 percent, Region VII (Central Visayas) at 12.4 percent, Region III (Central Luzon) at 12.6 percent and Region I (Ilocos) at 11.9 percent, and Region XI (Davao) at 10.7 percent.

Unemployed Persons by Highest Grade Completed...

• A greater proportion of the 3.9 million unemployed persons have completed at least one year of high school education (1.7 million or 43.0 percent). Another 849 thousand (21.8 percent) have reached only the elementary level.
• About 615 thousand (15.8 percent) unemployed persons have actually completed college education.

Among the unemployed, there were those who actually looked for work in January 2004...

• Of the 3.9 million unemployed persons in January 2004, about 1.1 million unemployed persons looked for work at anytime during the past week of the survey period.
• Among the 1.1 million unemployed persons who looked for work, a number of them approached relatives or friends (40.9 percent) or approached employers directly (31.5 percent). There were about 18.7 percent who registered in employment agency and 7.8 percent who placed or answered advertisements.

...and there were those who did not look for work because of certain reasons...

• Of the 3.9 million unemployed persons in January 2004, about 2.7 million unemployed persons (70.4 percent) did not look for work during the past week of the survey period in January 2004. Persons who had no job or business during the reference period and did not look for work because of their belief that no work is available, because of temporary illness or disability, because of bad weather or because of a pending job application or job interview were also considered unemployed.
• Among the unemployed persons who did not look for work, 789 thousand or 28.8 percent did not do so because of the belief that no work is available.

The employed persons in January 2004...

• The employed persons in January 2004 numbered to 31.5 million. Employment rate was registered at 89.0 percent. Last year�s estimate was 30.1 million or 89.4 percent.
• Of the employed persons, about 19.5 million (61.8 percent) were males and 12.0 million (38.2 percent) were females.

Of the employed persons, there were those either working in agriculture, industry or services...

• The proportion of employed persons in the agriculture sector to the total employed was estimated at 35.4 percent. Those engaged in agriculture, hunting and forestry was estimated at 30.9 percent while those in the fishery sector was recorded at 4.4 percent.
• Those employed in the services sector registered a share of 48.6 percent in January 2004, accounting for about 15.3 million. Last year�s estimate was 47.8 percent or 14.4 million.
• In the industry sector, its share to total employed was recorded at about 5.0 million in January 2004. Last year�s estimate was recoded at 4.6 million. Employment in the industry sector�s share to total employed increased to 16.0 percent from 15.2 percent last year.

The employed by occupation...

• Occupation-wise, the laborers and unskilled workers registered a percentage of 31.3 percent, followed by the farmers, forestry workers and fishermen at 18.6 percent.

Of the employed persons, there were those who were paid wages and salaries, worked on their account, or worked for the family...

• More than half of the employed were wage and salary workers while more than one-third were own-account workers.
• Ten percent of the employed workers were unpaid family workers.

The employed by number of hours worked...

• Full-time workers or those who worked for 40 hours or more accounted for 63.5 percent of the total employed persons.
• Those who worked for less than 40 hours comprised 35.2 percent of the employment total.

Of the employed, there were those who desired more hours of work -- the underemployed...

• The number of underemployed persons or those who desired additional hours of work was estimated at 5.5 million this year. The corresponding underemployment rate reached 17.5 percent.
• About 3.3 million underemployed persons actually worked for less than 40 hours during the past week of the survey period in January 2004.

About 2.2 million underemployed persons looked for additional hours of work...

• There were about 2.2 million underemployed persons or 6.9 percent of the total employed persons, looked for work during the past week of the survey period in January 2004.

Technical Notes

• Starting the July 2003 round of the Labor Force Survey, the generation of the labor force and employment statistics adopted the 2003 Master Sample Design.
• Using this new master sample design, the number of samples increased from 41,000 to around 51,000 sample households.
• The province of Basilan is grouped under Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao while Isabela City (Basilan) is now grouped under Region IX. This is to adopt the regional grouping under Executive Order No.36.
• The 1992 four-digit code for Philippine Standard Occupational Classification (PSOC) and 1994 Philippine Standard Industry Classification (PSIC) were used in classifying the occupation and industry.