ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanews/18 June) –Five of six Mindanao regions, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and two Luzon regions posted high employment rates out of the country’s 17 region in April this year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) announced.
Posting the highest employment rate in April was Zamboanga region at 96.8%, followed by Cagayan valley at 96.7% and the ARMM ranking third, at 96.3% based on the Labor Force Survey (LFS), the announcement by NSO Administrator Carmelita Ericta released on June 15 said.
Northern Mindanao, Southeastern Mindanao (Davao region) Southwestern Mindanao (often referred to as Soccsksargen) and MIMAROPA (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) in Luzon each registered an employment rate of 96% in April, the NSO report said.
The National Capital Region (NCR) registered the lowest employment rate of 88.4 percent, the NSO reported. The report did not cite the employment rate in Caraga region which comprises the two Agusan and two Surigao provinces and Dinagat Island province and the cities of Butuan, Cabadbaran, Bayugan, Surigao, Bislig and Tandag.
Overall, the country’s employment rate in April was 92.8%, higher by 0.8 percent than April last year’s 92 percent.
Approximately 39.7 million out of the estimated 61.8 million population 15 years old and over in April this year were in the labor force, placing the labor force participation rate (LFPR) at 64.2 percent, with
Northern Mindanao posting the highest LFPR at 70.6% and ARMM posting the lowest at 55.7%, the NSO said.
The NSO said the bulk of employed persons were in the services sector comprising more than half or 51.7 percent of the total employed population, specifically in the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods registering at 19.7 percent of the total employed persons.
It said workers in the agriculture sector accounted for the second largest industry group at 33.0 percent, with those engaged in agriculture, hunting and forestry sub-sector making up the largest sub-sector or 29.0 percent of total employed.
The industry sector registered the least share to total employed at 15.3 percent.
Among the various occupation groups, one-third or 32.7 percent of the total employed population were laborers and unskilled workers. Farmers, forestry workers and fishermen comprised the next largest group, accounting for 15.3 percent of the total employed. (MindaNews)