The national Social Weather Survey of September 12-16, 2021, found adult joblessness at 24.8% of the adult labor force.
This is 2.8 points below the 27.6% in June 2021. It is 12.6 points below the record-high 37.4% average of 2020, but 5.0 points above the 19.8% average of 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The resulting 26.1% average for the first three quarters of 2021 is less than for 2020 but has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
The estimated numbers of jobless are 11.9 million in September 2021 and 13.5 million in June 2021.
SWS defines the Labor Force as adults (18 years and above) presently with a job plus those looking for a job. The Labor Force Participation Rate is the proportion of adults in the labor force.
The September 2021 survey found the Labor Force Participation Rate at 68.0%, or an estimated 48.2 million. It was 69.1%, or an estimated 48.9 million, in June 2021.
The jobless consist of those who (a) voluntarily left their old jobs, (b) are seeking jobs for the first time, or (c) lost their jobs due to economic circumstances beyond their control.
Joblessness reached a catastrophic level of 45.5% in July 2020. It eased to 39.5% in September 2020, 27.3% in November 2020, and 25.8% in May 2021. It bounced to 27.6% in June 2021 before easing to 24.8% in September 2021.
Joblessness falls in all areas except in the Visayas
Adult joblessness is highest in Metro Manila at 34%, followed by Balance Luzon at 27%, the Visayas at 23%, and Mindanao at 16%.
The 2.8-point decline in the national joblessness rate between June 2021 to September 2021 was due to decreases of 7.3 points in Metro Manila, 3.4 points in Balance Luzon, and 2.8 points in Mindanao, combined with an increase of 1.4 points in the Visayas.
Joblessness fell in Metro Manila from 40.9% in June 2021 to 33.6% in September 2021.
It fell in Balance Luzon from 30.9% in June 2021 to 27.5% in September 2021.
It also fell in Mindanao from 19.2% in June 2021 to 16.4% in September 2021.
However, it rose in the Visayas from 21.3% in June 2021 to 22.6% in September 2021.
Joblessness falls among women
Joblessness fell among women, from 38.3% in June 2021 to 32.3% in September 2021.
It hardly changed among men, moving from 19.8% in June 2021 to 19.3% in September 2021.
This brings the women-men joblessness gap to 13 points, down from 18 points in June 2021.
Joblessness falls among the 35-year-olds-and-above but rises among those under 35
Compared to June 2021, joblessness fell among the 35-to-44-year-olds from 23.8% to 16.0%.
It also fell among those 45 years old and above from 22.4% to 15.6%.
However, it rose among the 18-to-24-year-olds from 49.3% to 51.5%.
It also rose among the 25-to-34-year-olds from 31.0% to 33.9%.
As in past surveys, the joblessness rate remains highest among the 18-24-year-olds among all age groups.