EV’s unemployment rate down to 4.2% in 2018

By PSA-8
January 28, 2019

TACLOBAN CITY – The unemployment rate in Eastern Visayas slightly decreased to 4.2% in 2018 from 4.4% in 2017, ranking sixth among the regions with low employment rate in the country (Table 1).

Unemployment rate is the proportion of unemployed persons to total labor force. Considered unemployed persons are persons in the labor force who are reported as without work; and currently available for work; and seeking work or not seeking work due to the following reasons: a) belief that no work is available, or b) awaiting results of previous job application, or c) because of temporary illness or disability, or d) weather, or e) waiting for rehire or job call.

Out of the estimated 3.2 million population 15 years old and over in 2018, about 1.9 million were economically active or in the labor force. This number translates to Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of 61.2% in 2018. This figure is 0.9 percentage point higher compared to the previous year’s LFPR of 60.3%. Among the regions, Eastern Visayas registered sixth lowest LFPR and sits at par with Western Visayas.

About 1.8 million persons in the labor force were employed. This translates to an employment rate of 95.8%, slightly higher than the 95.6% employment rate recorded in 2017. Employment rate is the proportion of employed persons to total labor force.

The underemployed persons or those employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours was estimated at 396 thousand. This is equal to an underemployment rate of 21.4%, lower than the 22.6% recorded a year ago. The region had the fourth highest underemployment rate in the country.

The preliminary results of the labor and employment estimates for the year are based on the average of the final results of the January and April rounds of the 2018 LFS and preliminary results of the July and October 2018 LFS rounds.