More Pinoys looking for ‘sideline’

MANILA, Philippines – More workers nationwide are looking for additional jobs for extra income, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

Data from the DOLE’s Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) showed the number of underemployed increased by 264,000 in October 2010.

Based on the BLES report, the number of underemployed or employed but still looking for a “sideline” went up to 7.1 million from 6.8 million during the same period last year.

More than half or 4.1 million of the total underemployed were reported as visibly underemployed or working less than 40 hours a week while those working for 40 hours or more accounted reached 3.03 million.

Most of the underemployed are in the agriculture sector at 3.07 million, while the services sector account for 2.8 million. The underemployed in the industry sector accounted for 1.17 million.

BLES also reported an increased in the number of unemployed persons, from 2.7 million last year to 2.8 million in October 2010.

Labor official attributed the increase in unemployment to the addition of 1.09 million new entrants to the labor force.

Young people, or those belonging to 15 to 24 years age group, comprised nearly half of the unemployed while those persons in the prime working age of 25 to 54 years closely followed.

More than three out of every five unemployed were men. Majority of the jobless are high school graduates or undergraduates. A high number of the unemployed were college graduates.

The National Capital Region (NCR) posted the highest unemployment rate followed by the Calabarzon region comprising the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

Despite the increase in the number of unemployed and underemployed nationwide, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz maintained the employment situation in the country has improved this year.

Baldoz noted the number of employed persons grew by 2.8 million in October while number of full time workers also increased, thus indicating improvement in quality employment. –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)