4.14 million Filipinos jobless in April

ABS-CBN News MANILA - Unemployment hit 8.7 percent in April, the same level compared to the previous quarter or the data from January 2021, the state statistics bureau said Tuesday. This translates to 4.14 million jobless Filipinos for the month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a virtual briefing. Unemployment in January 2021 was at 8.7 percent with 3.95 million jobless Filipinos, data showed. On a month-on-month basis, April's figure is higher compared to unemployment in March which was at 7.1 percent, equivalent to 3.44 million jobless Filipinos. The Labor Force Participation for the month is higher at 63.24 percent compared to 60.5 percent in January 2021, it added. Underemployment is at 17.2 percent in April 2021, higher compared to 16 percent in January, data showed. Underemployment for the month is lower compared to 18.9 percent in April 2020. The Philippines recorded the "worst" unemployment rate in 2020 at 10.4 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PSA earlier said. Based on revised data, unemployment in April 2020 ballooned 17.6 percent, translating to 7.2 million jobless Filipinos after the first COVID-19 lockdown was imposed in mid-March last year. Despite imposing another lockdown at the end of March 2021, authorities have said the measure was less restrictive which means less jobs would be affected. During a pre-SONA economic forum, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said employment lost due to the pandemic has been restored. However, the Asian Development Bank said the pandemic has led to lower quality jobs and skills mismatch.

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