SWS survey: Jobless Filipinos up from 9M to 10.5M in last 3 months

The number of jobless Filipinos increased by around 1.5 million in the last three months, based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.

From 19.1 percent – corresponding to an estimated 9 million Filipinos – in the first quarter of 2015, the jobless rate in the second quarter increased to 23.2 percent, about 10.5 million Filipinos.

The nationwide SWS survey was conducted last June 5-8 with 1,200 respondents in the sample.

The survey results were first published in BusinessWorld on Tuesday, September 8.

For the survey, the SWS said, the jobless were defined as individuals 18 years old and above without a job and looking for a job. Those who are not looking for work such as housewives and retired individuals are not included in this category.

Of the estimated 10.5 million jobless Filipinos in June, 4.7 million were adult Filipinos who quit their jobs, 4.4 million were adult Filipinos who had been retrenched, and 1.3 million were first-time job seekers.

Unemployment was higher among women (31.3 percent) than among men (16.9 percent).

The rate of unemployed Filipinos also increased among different age brackets. Joblessness among those aged at least 45 years old was 11 percent in June, higher than the 8 percent in March. Joblessness among those 35-44 years old was 20 percent in June, up from 16 percent in March. Joblessness among those 25-34 years old was 29 percent in June from 28 percent in March. And joblessness among those 18-24 years old was 55 percent in June from 50 percent in March.

In the same survey in June, Filipinos’ optimism on job availability in the next 12 months declined from a March “high” +20 (percentage of those saying there will be more jobs minus percentage of those saying there will be fewer jobs) to “fair” +17 in the June survey.

The SWS describes a net optimism score of +30 and above as “very high”; +20 to +29, as “high”; +10 to +19, as “fair”; +1 to +9, as “mediocre”; -9 to zero, as “low”; and -10 and down, as “very low.”

About 36 percent (from 38 percent in March) of Filipinos expects that the number of available jobs in the next 12 months would increase; while 33 percent (from 31 percent in March) said it would stay the same; and 19 percent (from 18 percent in March) believe that the number of available jobs would be fewer.