Sixty Percent of the population 15 years old and over are in the labor force

In October 2019, the total population 15 years old and over was estimated at 5.5 million wherein the number of persons who were in the labor force was reported at 3.5 million. This placed the labor force participation rate (LFPR) at 63.2 percent, which means that six in ten of the population aged 15 years and over were either employed or unemployed. (Figure 1).

Central Visayas recorded a 95.7 percent employment rate

The total number of employed persons in Central Visayas was estimated at 3.3 million. The employment rate reported or the proportion of employed persons to total labor force was 95.7 percent (Figure 2).

Central Visayas had a higher employment rate with the national employment rate for the October 2019 Employment Situation. By definition, employed persons who express 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 are considered underemployed.  

In October 2019, the underemployment rate was estimated at 16.6 percent for Central Visayas (Table 1) and ranked 7^th among regions with highest rate for October 2019.

Underemployed persons who work for less than 40 hours in a week are called visibly underemployed persons.

Meanwhile unemployed persons include all those who, during the reference period, are 15 years old and over as of their last birthday who have no job/business, currently available for work and actively looking for work.

Also considered as unemployed are persons without a job or business who are reported not looking for work because of their belief that no work was available or because of temporary illness/disability, bad weather, pending job application or waiting for job interview.

The national unemployment rate in October 2019 was estimated at 4.5 percent. BARMM, CALABARZON, Ilocos Region, Bicol Region, Central Luzon, Caraga, and NCR have an unemployment rate higher than the Region VII and national figure.

The October 2019 Employment Situation is taken from the final result of the October 2019 Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (Table 3).

TECHNICAL NOTES

• Starting April 2005, the new unemployment definition was adopted as per NSCB Resolution Number 15 dated October 20, 2004.  As indicated in the said resolution, the unemployed include all persons who are 15 years and over as of their last birthday and are reported as: (1) without work and currently available for work and seeking work; or (2) without work and currently available for work but not seeking work for the following reasons:

1. Tired/believed no work available

2. Awaiting results of previous job application

3. Temporary illness/disability

4. Bad weather

5. Waiting for rehire/job recall

• Starting January 2012 LFS, the codes for industry adopted the 2009 Philippine Standard Industrial Classification (PSIC).  Prior to this, codes for industry used the 1994 PSIC.
• Question on vocational course was introduced in the January 2012 LFS questionnaire.
• Starting April 2016 round, the Labor Force Survey (LFS) adopted the 2013 Master Sample Design, with a sample size of approximately 44,000 households.
• The 2012 Philippine Standard Occupational Classification (PSOC) was adopted starting April 2016.  The 1992 PSOC had been used prior to April 2016.
• Starting with the April 2016 LFS round, the population projections based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (2010 CPH) has been adopted and generate the labor statistics.
• In July 2016, the 2008 Philippine Standard Classification of Education (PSCED) that was used in the 2015 Population Census (2015 POPCEN) had been adopted. The categories for highest grade completed were also revised considering the K to 12 program in the education system.
• In January 2017 round, Computer Aided Personal Interviewing (CAPI) using Tablet was utilized in the LFS enumeration.
• Overseas Filipino Workers are not considered part of the labor force in the Philippines.  Hence, in the LFS, data on economic characteristics of household members who are overseas workers are not collected.  For the LFS reports, they are excluded in the estimation of the size of working population, that is, population aged 15 years and older, and in the estimation of the labor force.

Approved by:

(SGD.) ARIEL E. FLORENDO
Regional Director