SUMMARY:

• Labor force population in July 2001 was 6.7% higher than the estimate of 30.5 million a year ago. Labor force participation rate, likewise, increased to 66.3% from 63.8%.

• Employed persons totaled 29.3 million in July 2001, up by 8.1% over July 2000.

  Employment in agriculture increased by 11.4 percent to 11.0 million from 9.9 million a year ago.

  In industry, employment was up by 271 thousand or by 6.1 percent.

  Employment in services increased by 804 thousand or by 6.3 percent.

• Unemployment rate decreased to 10.1 percent from 11.2 percent in July last year.

• Underemployment rate declined by 3.5 percentage points, from 21.2 percent in July last year to 17.7 percent this year.

HIGHLIGHTS

Persons aged 15 years old and over...

• Persons aged 15 years old and over increased by 2.8 percent or 1.3 million from 47.8 million in July 2000 to 49.1 million in July 2001.

Of the 49.1 million persons 15 years old and over, there were those who joined the labor force ...

• Around 32.6 million joined the labor force population in July 2001, increasing the number by 6.7 percent from its level of 30.5 million a year ago.

• Persons not in the labor force like housewives, students, disabled and retired persons decreased by 4.1 percent, from 17.3 million a year ago to 16.6 million this July.

Of the 32.6 million persons in the labor force, there were those who were employed and those who were not ...

• The number of employed persons in July 2001 increased by 8.1 percent to 29.3 million from 27.1 million in July 2000.

• The corresponding employment rate likewise increased from 88.8 percent to 89.9 percent.

Of the 29.3 million persons employed, there were those either working in agriculture, industry or services ...

• In terms of level, all three major industry sectors registered increases in employment with the agriculture sector posting the highest increment of 11.4 percent or about 1.1 million persons. Its share to total employment also increased by 1.1 percentage points, from 36.4 percent to 37.5 percent.

• The services sector also increased by 6.3 percent to 13.6 million from 12.8 million a year ago. However, its share to total employment, decreased by 0.8 percentage point, from 47.2 percent to 46.4 percent.

• The industry sector increased by 6.1 percent but its share to total employed decreased by 0.3 percentage point, from 16.4 percent to 16.1 percent.

The employed in agriculture ...

• An estimated 37.5 percent of the total employed worked in agriculture, increasing by 1.1 million (11.4%) over July 2000. The unpaid family workers contributed substantially to the increase by as much as 568 thousand and own-account workers by 564 thousand. The wage and salary workers in this sector slightly decreased by eight (8) thousand.

The employed in services

• Wholesale and retail trade contributed much to the increase where the level rose to 5.3 million in July 2001 from 4.4 million in July 2000. Financing, insurance, real estate and business services also increased by 116 thousand along with transportation, storage and communication by 109 thousand. The community, social and personal services decreased by 5.1 percent, from 5.7 million to 5.4 million.

The employed in industry

• Employment level in the industry sector increased to 4.7 million in July 2001 from 4.4 million a year ago. This is contributed by increases posted in the manufacturing sector (219 thousand), construction (63 thousand) and electricity, gas and water (2 thousand).

• The mining sector decreased by 12.3 percent, from 106 thousand to 93 thousand.

Of the 29.3 million employed, there were those who were paid wages and salaries, worked on their account, or worked for the family...

• The 2.2 million increment in the July 2001 employment level came mostly from the increase in number of own-account workers which include self-employed workers and employers. The number rose by 12.2 percent to 11.1 million from 9.9 million or an increase of 1.2 million.

• The number of unpaid family workers also increased by 739 thousand, from 3.1 million to 3.8 million while wage and salary workers which include those working for private household/establishment/family-operated activity and in government/government corporation increased by 237 thousand.

• In terms of proportion to total employment, wage and salary workers remained on top with a 49.0 percent share compared to a 52.1 percent share last year. Own-account workers increased its proportion to total employed by 1.4 percentage points, from 36.6 percent to 38.0 percent. Likewise, the unpaid family workers increased its share by 1.7 percentage points, from 11.3 percent to 13.0 percent.

The employed by region ...

• All regions exhibited increases in employment levels with Southern Tagalog posting the highest increase of 333 thousand. Central Luzon registered second with an increase of 302 thousand. Cordillera Administrative Region registered the least increase in employment at twenty seven thousand.

• Most of the regions showed increases in employment rates with Central Mindanao posting the highest increase of 3.4 percentage points. Central Luzon followed next with 3.1 percentage points; Northern Mindanao, 2.7 percentage points; Cagayan Valley, 2.1 percentage points; and National Capital Region and Cordillera Administrative Region with 1.5 percentage points each.

• Only three (3) regions experienced a decline in employment rate. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) decreased by 0.6 percentage point, from 95.8 percent to 95.2 percent, while both Central Visayas (Region VII) and Southern Mindanao (Region XI) decreased by only 0.3 percentage point.

The employed by number of hours worked ...

• Full-time workers or those who worked for 40 hours or more decreased both in number and proportion to total employment. The number decreased by 757 thousand, from 18.7 million in July 2000 to 18.0 million this year. Its share to total employed also decreased by 7.7 percentage points, from 69.0 percent to 61.3 percent.

• Those who worked for less than 40 hours increased both in levels and proportion to total employment. The estimate of 8.1 million last year (with a share of 30.0%) increased to 10.9 million (with a share of 37.2%).

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 decreased by 564 thousand to 5.2 million in July 2001 from 5.8 million a year ago. The corresponding underemployment rate dropped to 17.7 percent this year from 21.2 percent last year.

• The services sector recorded the highest decrease in underemployment at 515 thousand (22.3%), while the industry sector reduced its underemployment by 123 thousand (12.1%).

And there were those who looked for work and did not find any, the unemployed...

• Unemployment rate in July 2001 was recorded at 10.1 percent, lower by 1.1 percentage points from the estimate of 11.2 percent last year.

• Unemployment levels, likewise, decreased by 4.1 percent to 3.3 million in July 2001 from 3.4 million in July 2000.

• Seven regions posted a double-digit unemployment rate with Metro Manila posting the highest at 15.7 percent. This was followed by Southern Tagalog (11.3%), Central Visayas (10.5%), Southern Mindanao (10.3%), Central Luzon and Western Visayas (10.1%), and Ilocos Region (10.0%).