(Eagle News) — The number of Filipinos who are jobless went down in the second quarter of 2018, a Social Weather Stations survey said.
According to the SWS, adult joblessness was at 19.7 percent, or equivalent to 8.6 million adults.
The pollster said this was 4.2 points below the 23.9 percent rate, equivalent to 10.9 million adults, registered in March 2018, but four points above the December 2017 rate.
According to the SWS, the June 2018 adult joblessness data consists of those who voluntarily left their old jobs at 9.5 percent (estimated at 4.2 million adults), those who involuntarily left their old jobs at 6.8 percent (estimated at 3 million adults) and first-time job-seekers at 3.4 percent (estimated at 1.5 million adults).
Adult joblessness fell by 8.8 points in Balance Luzon, from the 28.1 percent in March 2018.
It also fell by 2.5 points in the Visayas, from the 21.6 percent recorded in March.
In Metro Manila, though, adult joblessness hardly changed, with the rate up by 0.4 points from the 19 percent three months ago.
The same can be said of adult joblessness in Mindanao, where the rate was up by 0.4 points from the 20.8 percent in March.
Based on the survey, adult labor force participation rate was at 68.3 percent, or an estimated 43.8 million adults.
The SWS said this was a 3.1 decrease from the 71.4 percent (estimated at 45.8 million adults) labor force participation rate in March 2018.