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Workers rest at a construction site of the NLEX-SLEX Connector on December 23, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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NLEX-SLEX CONNECTOR

Benise Balaoing

ABS-CBN News

<div style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171758191269620221223-nlex-skyway-connector-JC-0585.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Workers rest at a construction site of the NLEX-SLEX Connector on December 23, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Workers rest at a construction site of the NLEX-SLEX Connector on December 23, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA (UPDATED) -- The Philippines&#x27; unemployment rate climbed in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Thursday.The jobless rate was seen at 4 percent in April, which was higher than the 3.9 percent seen in March.This means there were 2.04 million unemployed Filipino workers in April, slightly up from the 2 million jobless workers in March. <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/5/8/unemployment-rate-rises-underemployment-dips-in-march-849">READ: Unemployment rate rises, underemployment dips in March</a></div>Underemployment rate also increased to 14.6 percent in April 2024 from 12.9 percent in April 2023 and 13.9 percent in January 2024. &quot;In terms of magnitude, 7.04 million of the 48.36 million employed individuals expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work in April 2024,&quot; the Philippine Statistics Authority said.  The services sector had the highest number of jobs, making up 61.4 percent of the total employment numbers, followed by agriculture at 20.3 percent and industry at 18.3 percent. The accommodation and food service activities sub-sector saw the highest year-on-year increase in jobs at 638,000. This was followed by construction (378,000), transportation and storage (289,000), manufacturing (285,000), and other service activities (200,000). Meanwhile, agriculture and forestry posted the highest job losses at 818,000, followed by wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles at 587,000. Human health and social work activities (85,000), public administration and defense and compulsory social security (72,000) and real estate activities (68,000) also recorded annual decreases in jobs. National Statistician Dennis Mapa said El Niño could still be behind the job losses in the agriculture sector.&quot;Nakita natin yang production natin sa first quarter, sa crops in particular, humina. So puwede na dahil sa impact ng El Niño, because the production was lower, you have that decrease also in employed. Underemployment rate also increased to 14.6 percent in April 2024 from 12.9 percent in April 2023 and 13.9 percent in January 2024. &quot;In terms of magnitude, 7.04 million of the 48.36 million employed individuals expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work in April 2024,&quot; the Philippine Statistics Authority said.Mapa said this is the highest underemployment recorded since the 15.9 percent seen in July 2023.Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles saw the biggest jump in underemployed persons at 149,000. This was followed by agriculture and forestry at 132,000; and accommodation and food service activities with 116,000. In a statement, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said government remained committed to creating more high-quality jobs by investing in human capital, and reinvigorating industry and priority sectors. &quot;The government aims to assist Filipino workers in the digital age. Initiatives include reducing job search duration, upskilling the workforce, and facilitating the transition towards higher-income jobs,&quot; Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said. Labor groups, however, urged the government to change foreign investments and agriculture policies to address rising unemployment and underemployment rates. Speaking at a press conference, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Secretary General Jerome Adonis said the government lacks support for the agriculture sector, as shown in its policies that favor the importation of agricultural products. &quot;Ang pinakapangunahing dahilan ay una  ay wala talagang suporta ang gobyerno sa mga magsasaka. Dahil wala siyang suporta kailangan natin ng pagkain, aasa sa importation. Kaya napakasamang senyales iyan,&quot; he said in a press conference. (The main reason for this is that government does not really support agriculture workers. Because of this lack of support, when we need food, we rely on importation. This is a very bad signal.) Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura Secretary General Butch Lozade said that there are about 150,000 to 200,000 workers every year who leave the agriculture sector.This is due mainly to &quot;labor migration&quot; wherein workers are enticed to choose other professions that offer better salaries and compensation, he said. The problem, Lozade added, is exacerbated by other existing government polices that limit the growth of the agriculture sector. &quot;Iyong tuloy tuloy na land use conversion, lumiliit  iyong tinatamnam ng iba&#x27;t ibang pagkain na kailangan ng ating bansa. Nae-endanger siya, dahil wala planned policy, planned economy ang bansa natin kundi ang parating solusyon ay import lang tayo,&quot; Lozade explained.    (The continuing land use conversion is hurting us, we now have a smaller place in which to plant food that we need. Our sector is being endangered because we have no planned policy or planned economy. Our solution is to always import.) Adonis also slammed the government for encouraging foreign investments instead of developing local industries. &quot;Wala tayong sariling industry na pupwede unti unting naga-absorb ng mga bagong labor force na papasok. Matagal na po namin sinasabi iyan. Iyong trabaho lang ng foreign investors sa atin, magnenegosyo sa atin, papasok sa Pilipinas ng ilang taon, kapag kumita ay lalayas na,&quot; he lamented. (We don&#x27;t have our own industry that can slowly absorb a new labor force that is coming in. We have been saying that for a long time. When it comes to foreign investors, they offer us jobs for a few years, then leave once they have earned money.) <div>—with reports from Joyce Balancio, ABS-CBN News</div>

The jobless rate was seen at 4 percent in April, which was higher than the 3.9 percent seen in March.

The jobless rate was seen at 4 percent in April, which was higher than the 3.9 percent seen in March.

Unemployment slightly up: 2.04 million jobless Filipinos in April

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Unemployment slightly up: 2.04 million jobless Filipinos in April

Benise Balaoing,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 06, 2024 09:18 AM PHT

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Updated May 18, 2025 05:26 PM PHT

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unemployment

unemployed

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Philippine Statistics Authority

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Kilusang Mayo Uno

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