Jobless in Cordillera rises

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The number of unmployed Cordillerans is rising, the National Statistics Office and the labor department reported on the heels of the celebration of the 23rd National Statistics Month here.

The Department of Labor and Employment said an estimated 4.9 percent of the Cordillera labor force are jobless this year, slightly higher than the 4.7-percent unemployed in 2011.

The number of the underemployed, who seek additional hours of work, meanwhile,  rose to 21.3 percent  from only 13.5% in 2011.

NSO and DOLE define unemployment as a state when a person who is 15 years old and above is reported as “without work and/or seeking work”, while underemployment includes employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present jobs or additional job or to have a new jobs with longer working hours for additional pay.

The Social Protection and Development Report explains that unemployment and underemployment are a factor in a higher poverty incidence.

Leading causes of unemployment and underemployment are contractual types of employment, part time jobs and on the job training.

The SPDR also noted that poor families in the Cordillera rose in 2009.