2.8M Filipinos jobless - NSO

 MANILA, Philippines - The number of jobless Filipinos remained practically the same in July compared to a year ago, the National Statistics Office reported Tuesday.

Results of the July 2012 Labor Force Survey showed that unemployment rate in July was 7 percent or about 2.8 million, practically unchanged from the 7.1 percent jobless rate in July 2011. The 

The Philippines has an estimated 63.1 million population aged 15 years and over, while 40.4 million of them are in the labor force, corresponding to a 64-percent labor force participation rate.  

"Of the estimated 37.6 million employed persons in July 2012, those who worked in the services sector comprised the largest proportion, which posted more than half or 53.3 percent of the estimated employed persons," the NSO said.

Those in the farming sector were the second largest group, accounting for 30.9 percent of the total employed. A total of 16 percent were in the industry sector.

"Among the major occupation groups, laborers and unskilled workers contributed the largest group indicating 33.2 percent of the total employed persons in July 2012. farmers, forestry workers and fishermen came next with a share of 13.7 percent of the total employed,"the NSO said.

Meanwhile, the number of underemployed Filipinos rose to 22.7 percent, higher than the 19.1 percent in July 2011. The underemployment rate was the highest since July 2006 when underemployment rate was at 23.4 percent.

"The number of underemployed persons in July 2012 was estimated at 8.5 million placing the underemployment rate at 22.7 percent. The underemployment rate in July 2011 was estimated at 19.1 percent. The visibly underemployed persons or those working for less than 40 hours during the reference week in July 2012 accounted for 53.5 percent of the total underemployed," the NSO said.

The underemployed are those who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours.