Senators seek inquiry into high unemployment rate

MANILA, Philippines - Five senators have called for a congressional inquiry into the high unemployment rate in the country.

Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Teofisto Guingona III, Grace Poe and Aquilino Pimentel III filed Senate Resolution No. 499 calling for the inquiry following various reports of high unemployment.

The Social Weather Stations recorded an unemployment rate of 27.5 percent in December 2013, representing 12.1 million jobless Filipinos.

This was a six percentage point increase from the 21.7 percent recorded in the previous quarter.

In the case of the Labor Force Survey conducted by the government, youth unemployment rate was recorded at 14.5 percent.

Nearly half of the total unemployed workforce consisted of young Filipinos aged 15 to 24.

The senators noted employment in the agricultural sector was particularly poor at negative 2.6 percent.

The service and industry sectors, on the other hand, recorded a mere 1.6 percent and one percent employment growth, respectively.

In the resolution, the senators noted several factors have been attributed to the rise in the unemployment rate.

These include the natural and man-made disasters that hit the country last year, namely Typhoon Yolanda, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol and Cebu and the siege of Zamboanga City.