Unemployed Filipinos up anew in February

THE number of unemployed Filipinos went up by 234,000 in February this year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

In a briefing on Tuesday, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said that based on the results of the latest Labor Force Survey (LFS), a total of 4.2 million are unemployed, higher than the 4.0 million recorded in January this year.

The latest number of out-of-work individuals translates to an unemployment rate of 8.8 percent, slightly higher than the 8.7 percent recorded a month earlier.

Mapa attributed the increase to the higher number of Filipinos who participated in the labor force.

The Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) during the month was at 63.5 percent, accounting for 47.3 million Filipinos 15 years and over who were in the labor force, up from the 60.5 percent LFPR in January.

Mapa said the impact of the one week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on unemployment rate will only be captured in the April round of the survey.

“Starting this February 2021, the monthly LFS will be conducted in between the regular LFS in order to come up with high frequency data on labor and employment as a basis for policy-making and planning, especially those related to the Covid-19,” said Mapa.