Valenzuela City records highest jobless rate in 2022 at 9.3%

VALENZUELA CITY recorded the highest unemployment rate last year at 9.3%, almost double the national average of 5.4%, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Wednesday.

However, this was a bit slower than the city’s jobless rate of 9.4% in 2021.

In absolute figures, 28,000 Filipinos in Valenzuela City were jobless last year from the 27,000 recorded in 2021, preliminary results of the Annual Provincial Labor Market Statistics showed.

This was followed by Lapu-Lapu City (8.9%, 19,000); Caloocan City (8.8%, 64,000); Malabon City (8.7%, 14,000); and Manila (8.6%, 74,000).

This totaled to 199,000 jobless persons in the five highly urbanized cities (HUCs) last year, down from 232,000 in 2021.

Other HUCs that had the highest number of unemployed were Quezon City (104,000, 7% unemployment rate); Davao City (35,000, 4.2%); and Cebu City (33,000, 7.6%).

Among provinces, Tawi-Tawi recorded the highest unemployment rate with 9.7%, equivalent to 14,000 jobless persons. Followed by La Union (8.3%, 31,000); and Catanduanes (7.7%, 9,000).

REGIONS
By region, Metro Manila had the highest unemployment rate at 7.2% with 462,000 jobless residents, but this was lower than the 10.6% in 2021.

Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) followed with 6.4% unemployment rate from 10.6% during the period in review; Ilocos Region (6.1% from 8.2%); and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (5.8% from 9.3%).

In terms of employment, Mountain Province recorded the highest rate at 99.1%, or 86,000 Filipinos with jobs. Ilocos Norte followed with 98.9% (350,000) and Kalinga with 98.3% (99,000).

Among HUCs, Zamboanga City posted the highest employment rate at 97.1% or 333,000 employed persons last year, followed by Davao City (95.8%, 787,000) and Makati City (95.3%, 301,000).

UNDEREMPLOYMENT
The underemployment rate last year was highest in Agusan del Sur at 47.7%, representing 171,000 residents employed but looking for more jobs or longer working hours.

Basilan followed (40.2%, 58,000); Occidental Mindoro (39.9%, 76,000); and Aurora (36%, 36,000).

By region, Soccskargen posted the highest underemployment at 23.8% from 19.6% in 2021. This was followed by Caraga (23.5% from 25.9%), and Bicol (22.8% from 26.7%). — Bernadette Therese M. Gadon