Guimaras’ unemployment rate down to 4.1 percent in 2021

Unemployment rate or the proportion of the unemployed population to the total number of persons in the labor force in Guimaras went down to 4.1 percent in 2021, more than half of the 8 percent unemployment rate in 2020, based on the result of the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In 2021, the total labor force population of 15 years old and over was at 75,500 persons, 95.9 percent of them or 72,410 were employed, and 4.1 percent or 3,090 were unemployed. (See Table 1)

“The number of unemployed persons in 2021 is lower than the 5,710 unemployed in 2020, about 2,620 individuals had joined the employed population,” Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare said.

“Despite the decrease in 2021, the unemployed population is still higher than that of 2018 and 2019 with 2,760 and 2,840 unemployed persons, respectively,” Losare added.

Losare also expounded that the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) or the proportion of the total number of persons in the labor force to the total population of Guimaras climbed by 2.5 percentage points in 2021 to 58.7 percent, from 56.2 percent in 2020. (See Table 1)

“The 2021 Labor Force Participation Rate is lower than the 2019 rate of 61.7 percent, yet higher against the 2018 LFPR at 58.1”, Losare said.

In four comparative years (2018-2021), 2019 recorded the highest labor force population reaching 76,660 individuals, wherein 96.3 percent or equivalent to 73,820 persons were employed, and 3.7 percent or 2,840 individuals were unemployed, Losare said. 

Likewise, in 2021, around 72,410 employed, or 95.9 percent of the estimated 75,500 labor force population, were employed while 4.1 percent or about 3,090 were unemployed.”

“Moreover, 2019 exhibited the highest employment rate at 96.3 percent or an estimated 73,820 employed individuals, higher than the 92.0 percent employment rate or about 65,800 employed individuals in 2020”, Losare added. `

Losare further explained that out of the total employed population in 2021, 6.9 percent or about 4,980 individuals are considered underemployed, expressed their desire to have additional hours of work in their present job, wanted more job, or to have a new job with longer working hours. (See Figure 2)

The 2021 underemployment rate, or the proportion of the underemployed population to the total number of persons in the labor force, is the lowest since 2018. The highest underemployment rate of 13.3 percent was in 2019, followed by 12.9 percent and 12.7 percent recorded in 2020 and 2018, respectively. (See Figure 2).