11 regions gripped by underemployment, says NSO

Eleven of the country’s 17 regions have low unemployment, but also have high underemployment, with Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula having over 20 percent of the work force underemployed, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said Thursday, citing labor data for July. “Underemployed persons include all employed persons who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or an additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours," the NSO said. Data show that the Bicol region posted the highest underemployment rate of 34.3 percent and also has the widest gap, a 28.9 points difference between unemployment and underemployment. Bicol has had high underemployment for many quarters now. Eastern Visayas’ underemployment was at 24.8 percent while that of Zamboanga Peninsula was at 23.7 percent. Nationwide, underemployment is highest in the agriculture sector at 46.7 percent. In the services sector, underemployment is 37.8 percent. Regions with relatively low underemployment and narrow gaps between unemployment and underemployment are the National Capital Region, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Regions II, III, and IVA. The NSO said unemployment last July was only at 7.1 percent, including 34 percent of the people with jobs but working “for less than 40 hours during the reference period and want additional hours of work." The visibly underemployed nationwide, who work only several hours a day and want to earn more, number around 12.65 million, the NSO said. — With Earl Rosero/VS, GMA News