SWS survey: 11.2M Filipino adults jobless in last quarter of 2016

About 11.2 million adults remained jobless in the last quarter of 2016, the worst in two years according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

But the poll done last Dec. 3-6 noted a record high optimism on job availability in nearly two decades.

Nationwide, 25.1 percent of 1,500 adult respondents were jobless, 6.7 points up from 18.4 percent or an estimated 8.2 million jobless Filipinos in September.

Although the latest figure was the worst since December 2014 which posted 27-percent joblessness rate, it brought 2016 average to 22.3 percent, slightly moved from 21.9 percent in 2015.

In particular, the fourth quarter joblessness rate consisted of 12.2 percent (5.5 million) who voluntarily left their jobs, 8.7 percent (3.9 million) who lost their jobs because of economic circumstances, and 4.3 percent (1.9 million) who were first-time job seekers.

SWS also put the fourth quarter labor force participation rate at 72.1 percent or 44.8 million adults, barely unchanged from 72 percent or 44.7 million.

By age, joblessness rate dropped 16.7 points, the lowest in 12 years, among those aged 18-24 years old but rose by 14.8 points among those aged 25-34; 9.6 points among 35-44, and 5.7 points among those aged 45 and older.

Those who are optimistic of more available jobs rose to 48 percent in December from September’s 44 percent, while those who said otherwise barely moved to 12 percent from 13 percent. It yielded a net optimism job availability score (more jobs minus less jobs, correctly rounded) of “very high” +37, the highest since the poll began in 1998.

The definition of SWS joblessness covers respondents aged 18 and over who are without jobs at present and are looking for work. This excludes those not looking for a job such as housewives, students and retired or disabled persons.

The SWS survey had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.—INQUIRER RESEARCH