More jobs, but underemployment also went up in 2011, says Dole

By Mia A. Aznar

Saturday, January 14, 2012

OUT of the 37.191 million employed persons in the country, Central Visayas accounted for 2.902 million last year.

Data provided by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) showed the employment rate rose to 93.3 percent in 2011 from 92.4 percent or 2.809 million in 2010.

The region’s labor force stood at 3.109 million and its labor force participation rate was 66.5 percent. The figures in the report represented the average of four rounds of the Labor Force Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office in the months of January, April, July and October last year.

Central Visayas saw an additional 93,000 employed, a lesser growth rate of 3.3 percent compared with 2010’s figures that saw an addition of 135,000 jobs and a growth rate of five percent from 2009.

Unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent from 7.6 in 2010. The report stated that some 208,000 are unemployed in the region as of the end of 2011, as opposed to the 231,000 who were unemployed the year prior.

However, underemployment rose from 16.4 percent to 18.4 percent at 533,000.

In the whole country, the labor force reached the 40- million mark, growing at 2.9 percent with the addition of 1.112 million.

Employment level expanded in 2011 with a growth rate of 3.2 percent or an addition of 1.156 million. According to the report, the services sector continued to be the growth driver, adding 713,000 jobs in 2011.

More part-timers

Agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors recovered from a slump in 2010, which suffered a decline of 0.7 percent or 87,000 fewer jobs due to a drought brought about by El Niño. In 2011, employment in this sector rose 2.6 percent or an addition of 310,000.

Growth in industry employment dropped 2.4 due to an employment slowdown in manufacturing and construction. Still, it saw an additional 131,000 jobs, only less than the 306,000 added in 2010.

The number of part-time employees rose 6.3 percent with the addition of 794,000 while full-time employment grew 1.5 percent or 352,000.

Underemployment was considered a major concern, as the number rose by 401,000, bringing to 7.163 million the number of underemployed workers.

Of the number, 4.340 million are visibly underemployed, or work less than 40 hours a week and are in need of additional jobs.

Incidence of underemployment was highest in the agricultural sector, making up 43.4 percent or 3.110 million of all underemployed persons.

The number of unemployed persons declined to 2.814 million, bringing down the average unemployment rate from 7.4 percent in 2010 to seven percent in 2011. The report credits the faster growth of employment compared with the labor force.

Those between the ages of 15 and 24 made up 50.4 percent or 1.417 million of all unemployed persons in the country. Majority were high school graduates or undergraduates.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 14, 2012.