SOCCSKSARGEN's unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 percent in 2009
(posted 29 January 2010)

Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed the SOCCSKSARGEN Region posted 4.1 percent unemployment rate in 2009, an improvement from the 4.5 percent posted in 2008.

The computation of the annual estimates is based on NSCB Resolution No. 9, Series of 2009, Approving and Adopting the Official Methodology for Generating Annual Labor and Employment Estimates by using the average estimates of the four Labor Force Survey (LFS) rounds.

The region ranked 4th among the 17 regions with the least percentage of unemployed persons. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) posted the least unemployment rate at only 2.3 percent. The National Capital Region (NCR), on the other hand, posted the highest unemployment rate at 12.8 percent. The national average was estimated at 7.5 percent in 2009, higher than the 7.4 percent unemployment rate posted in 2008.

Underemployment rate in the region or the proportion of employed persons wanting more hours of work decreased from 23.3 percent in 2008 to 21.0 percent in 2009. Central Luzon posted the least with only 7.8 percent underemployment rate while about 4 out of every 10 workers in the Bicol Region want additional work. Underemployed persons include those who express 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 proportion of economically active population of the region to its total population 15 years old and over also known as the labor force participation rate (LFPR) improved from 66.1 percent in 2008 to 66.7 percent in 2009. Northern Mindanao Region posted the highest LFPR with 70.4 percent while the ARMM posted the lowest at 57.2 percent. The national average LFPR was 64.0 percent.

 

Rate of Annual Labor Force Participation, Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment by Region: 2009 and 2008
(In Percent)
Region LFPR Employment Rate Unemployment Rate Underem-ployment Rate
2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008
Philippines 64.0 63.6 92.5 92.6 7.5 7.4 19.1 19.3
NCR 61.5 61.3 87.2 87.0 12.8 13.0 12.4 11.8
CAR 66.6 66.5 95.2 95.5 4.6 4.5 17.6 22.5
Region I 61.5 60.8 91.8 91.9 8.2 8.1 16.8 16.7
Region II 67.2 66.3 97.2 96.5 2.8 3.5 15.2 18.3
Region III 60.6 60.3 90.8 90.8 9.2 9.2 7.8 8.7
Region IVA 63.2 62.3 89.6 90.0 10.4 10.0 16.5 16.1
Region IVB 70.1 69.2 95.6 95.8 4.4 4.2 26.0 27.2
Region V 64.5 65.2 94.1 94.4 5.9 5.6 36.3 35.8
Region VI 64.4 63.9 93.0 93.0 7.0 7.0 25.7 24.0
Region VII 64.1 64.4 92.5 93.0 7.5 7.0 14.8 15.1
Region VIII 66.1 64.8 94.6 95.5 5.4 4.5 26.4 27.6
Region IX 66.8 65.7 96.4 96.5 3.6 3.5 23.6 23.7
Region X 70.4 70.4 95.2 95.3 4.9 4.7 27.5 25.8
Region XI 65.7 66.2 94.1 94.2 5.9 5.8 20.4 19.8
Region XII 66.7 66.1 95.9 95.4 4.1 4.5 21.0 23.3
Caraga 65.9 65.8 94.2 94.4 5.8 5.6 26.9 25.8
ARMM 57.2 57.2 97.7 97.3 2.3 2.7 12.8 16.0
Source: National Statistics Office