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Unemployment rises to 41 in April

4 days ago

The unemployment rate in April slightly rose to 41 percent from 4 percent in the same month last year with the largest decrease in manufacturing workers the Philippine Statistics Authority PSA said FridayPreliminary data from the government agency showed that jobless Filipinos increased to 206 million from 204 million yearonyearThe manufacturing sector posted the highest number of job losses at 410000National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Claire Dennis Mapa linked the decline to slower export activity in semiconductors and other electronic productsThe first subsector affected by external market conditions was semiconductors and other electronic components with 76000 fewer workers he said during a media briefingThe data comes amid threats of new tariffs under US President Donald Trumps proposed policies which economists say could dampen global expansion plans and limit export opportunitiesExport sales of electronic products in April dropped to 341 billion from 36 billion in the same month last year based on preliminary dataMapa said manufacturing employment in plastics food products and garments also declined with worker losses ranging from 42000 to 51000However from January to April the agriculture sector saw the biggest overall employment drop at 324000This decline was partly due to increased use of mechanized farming methods according to data from the Department of AgricultureSome farmers also shifted to the construction industry while others were discouraged by the lower retail prices of rice Mapa addedThe PSA also noted that 129000 Filipinos reported they were still waiting for job application results while 42000 were waiting to be rehiredConsequently the employment rate slightly dipped to 959 percent from 96 percent in April 2024Mapa attributed the decrease to a growing number of jobseekers which rose to 5074 million from 504 millionWe saw a higher labor force participation rate due to the countrys growing population Some applicants were absorbed while others were not he saidMost Filipinos found jobs in administrative and support services as well as in public administration and defenseMeanwhile the underemployment rate remained steady at 146 percent with the number of underemployed Filipinos those looking for longer hours or better jobs rising slightly from 704 million to 709 millionDespite the slight uptick in unemployment the Philippine labor market continues to demonstrate resilience amid global headwinds said Department of Economy Planning and Development DEPDev OfficerinCharge and Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie EdillonWe remain on track to meet our target unemployment range of 44 to 47 percent under the Philippine Development Plan 20232028 she addedTo ensure stronger employment data the government is implementing programs to improve job security for high school and college graduates These include the TechnicalVocationalLivelihood TVL track in senior high school and the Government Internship Program Under the EnterpriseBased Education and Training Framework the government in partnership with the private sector will codevelop programs that focus on digital technical and soft skills Edillon said

Kathryn Jose

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