About 64.7% of the Ilocos Region’s Population 15 years old and over were in the labor force

The result of the July 2020 Labor Force Survey (LFS) in Ilocos Region showed that 2.3 million persons were in the labor force which translates to a Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR)of 64.7 percent. The LFPR of the region in July 2020 was higher by 2.4 percentage points compared with the LFPR in July 2019 (62.3%).

Employment rate dropped by 6.2%

In July 2020, the total number of employed persons in the region was estimated at 2.0 million. The reported proportion of employed persons to the total labor force was 88.9 percent. There were more employed males (1.2 million) than females (798 thousand) in the region.

Unemployment in the region raised to 11.1%

The number of unemployed persons was estimated at 255 thousand resulting to an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent. Of the total unemployed persons, 56.5 percent (144 thousand) were males
and 43.5 percent (111 thousand) were females.

The unemployment rate of the region increased by 6.2 percentage points in July 2020 from the unemployment rate of 4.9 percent in July 2019.

Employed persons in the three major industry group declined in July 2020

The employment in the three major group sectors declined in July 2020 compared to July 2019. There was a decrease of employed persons in the Industry Sector by 8.1 percentage points, a decrease
in the Agriculture Sector by 3.5 percentage points, and in the Services Sector by 3.1 percentage points.

In July 2020, employed persons in the Services Sector made up the largest group with 1.1 million    (52.5%) of the total employed in July 2020.

In the group of employed persons in the Services Sector, wholesale and retail trade had the highest percentage equivalent to 484 thousand (23.8%), followed by Other Services with 120 thousand (5.9%) employed workers, and Public Administration And Defense recording 116 thousand (5.7%) of the total employed workers in July 2020.

The Agriculture Sector was the second largest group with 592 thousand (29.1%). Of this total, 554 thousand (27.2%) were employed in Agriculture & Forestry and the rest were employed in fishing.

The Industry Sector employed the least with an estimate of 376 thousand (18.4%). From this, Construction comprises 11.9 percent, followed by Manufacturing (6.0%), Mining and Quarrying (0.3%), and 0.2 percent in the Electricity and Water Supply Industry.

Most employed persons were engaged in elementary occupations

The top three major occupations of Ilocos Region in July 2020 were those engaged in Elementary Occupations covering 30.6 percent or 622 thousand employed workers, Service and Sales Workers composed of 17.5 percent or 356 thousand workers, and Skilled Agricultural Forestry and Fishery Workers with 15.7 percent or 319 thousand workers. Armed Forces Occupations and Special Occupations had the least proportion which comprises 0.05 percent of the employed persons in the region.

Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers increased by 17.6 percent from 67 thousand in July 2019 to 79 thousand in July 2020. Similarly, increase of employed Clerical Support Workers of about 7.9 percent, Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Workers (7.0%), and Service & Sales Workers (2.6%) were recorded.

On the contrary, decreases were observed in the employment in Elementary Occupations (5.3%), Managerial Positions (21.1%), Craft and Related Trade Workers (7.2%), Professionals (8.8%), Technicians and Support Professionals (5.3%), and Armed Forces Occupations 63.1%).

About 6 out of 10 workers were wage and salary workers

By class of worker, Wage and Salary Workers posted the highest employment in the Ilocos Region with 57.1 percent or 1.2 million. Self-Employed without Any Paid Employee marked 23.1 percent or 471 thousand, followed by the Employer In Own Family-Operated or Business with 10.2 percent (207 thousand), and those who worked without pay in own-family-operated or business with 9.6 percent (196 thousand).

Among the 1.2 million Wage and Salary Workers in July 2020, 864 thousand (42.5%) worked in the private establishment, 205 thousand (10.1%) worked in the government and government-controlled corporations, 84 thousand (4.1%) worked in a private household, and about nine thousand (0.4%) worked with pay in their own-family-operated farm or business.

Average hours worked increased to 40.5 hours in July 2020

The average hours of work of an employed person in the Ilocos Region increased from 35.4 hours in July 2019 to 40.5 hours in July 2020.

Full-time workers were estimated at 1.0 million (50.8%) of the total employment in July 2020. This recorded a significant decrease of 23.26 percent from the estimated full-time worker in July 2019.