By Mayvelin U Caraballo /Manila Times

Underemployment at the start of the year worsened as the number of underemployed persons went up to some 7.93mn, placing the underemployment rate at 20.9%, according to the latest Labour Force Survey of the National Statistic Office.

Underemployed people are those who either want an additional job or more hours in their current job, or have a new job with longer working hours.

The underemployment rate in January 2013 was higher compared to the 19.0% in October 2012, which translates to 7.2mn underemployed persons.

It also showed that about 42.3% of underemployed worked in the services sector; 41.8% were in the agriculture sector; and those in the industry sector accounted for 15.9%.

Meanwhile, the number of jobless Filipinos also rose as the unemployment rate in January this year was at about 7.1%. It is higher than the 2.8mn jobless persons in October 2012, which translates to an unemployment rate of 6.8%.

Based on the survey data, most of the jobless Filipinos can be found in Metro Manila at 9.5% and lowest in Cagayan Valley at 3.3%.

Meanwhile, the survey also revealed the number of employed persons in January 2013 slightly increased to 37.94mn, or an employment rate of 92.9%.

In comparison, the October 2012 results recorded some 37.7mn employed persons, which gives an employment rate of 93.2%.

Employed persons fall into any of the categories of wage and salary workers, self-employed workers without any paid employee, employer in own family-operated farm or business and unpaid family workers.

Among the regions, the survey added that Cagayan Valley with 96.7% and Zamboanga Peninsula with 96.6% had the highest employment rate.

However, Metro Manila recorded the lowest employment rate at 90.5%.

The survey further said that of the estimated 37.94mn employed persons in January 2013, majority, or 54.1% were working in the services sector.

Those who worked in the agriculture sector comprised the second largest group making up 30.4%, while workers in the industry sector made up the smallest group registering 15.5% of the total employed, it added.

The survey also mentioned that among the major occupation groups, labourers and unskilled workers constituted the largest group making up 32.8% of the total employed in January 2013.

Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen were the second largest group comprising 12.7% of the total employed, it said.

In addition, the survey also said that the population aged 15 and above was estimated at 63.7mn in January 2013.

“Out of this estimate, 40.8mn were in the labour force, or were either employed or unemployed,” it further said.

The survey noted that these figures resulted in a labour force participation rate of 64.1%, which is similar to the one recorded in January 2012, or 64.2%.

Northern Mindanao had the highest labour force participation rate among the regions, with 68.5%, while Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had the lowest rate with 58.1%, it noted.