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Reference Number :
Issue No. 12, Series of 2017
 
 
The results of the October 2016 Labor Force Survey (LFS) revealed an employment rate of 94.6 percent for Ilocos Region. This was 3.1 percentage points higher than the 91.5 percent employment rate recorded in October 2015.   The employment rate of the region was fourth among the lowest across the 18 regions with Central Luzon, NCR, and CALABARZON with 94.3, 94.0 and 93.9 employment rates, respectively. When compared with that of the national figure, Ilocos region employment rate was lower by 0.7 percentage point. In terms of the labor force participation rate (LFPR), Ilocos Region posted a decrease of 0.9 percentage point from 62.2 percent in October 2015 to 61.3 percent in October 2016. This was lower than the country’s LFPR of 63.6 percent in October 2016.
 
Among the 18regions CALABARZON (Region IV-A) recorded the lowest employment rate at 93.9 percent in October 2016.  On the other hand, Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) had the highest employment rate at 97.5 percent.  Meanwhile, the employment rate of National Capital Region (NCR) was the next lowest employment rate among the 18 regions for the period October 2016 at 94.0 percent. Meanwhile, Ilocos Region had the lowest employment rate at 91.5 percent in October 2015.
 
 
There was an increase of 2.6 percentage points in the percentage of employed males in Ilocos Region from 62.1 percent in October 2015 to 64.7 percent in October 2016.  On the other hand, a decrease of 2.6 percentage points was recorded among the employed females, from 37.9 percent in October 2015 to 35.3 percent in October 2016.
 
 
By education, 49.6 percent of the employed persons in Ilocos Region attained high school, which was higher by 7.4 percentage points than the 42.2 percent recorded for the whole country.
About 24.2 percent of the employed persons in Ilocos Region reached college level, which was lower by 0.3 percentage point from the national figure of 24.5 percent in October 2016.
On the other hand, about 4.6 percent of the employed persons in Ilocos Region attained post-secondary level, which was 0.6 percentage point lower than the 5.2 percent recorded for the whole country during the said period
About 21.1 percent of the employed persons in Ilocos Region attained elementary level, lower by 5.6 percentage points with that of the Philippines, which was posted at 26.7 percent.
The percentage of employed persons in Ilocos Region with no grade completed was only 0.5 percent, lower by 0.9 percentage point as compared to the 1.4 percent recorded for the Philippines.
Among the various occupation groups, the workers under elementary occupations comprised the biggest group making up 31.6 percent in October 2016 and 35.4 percent in October 2015, respectively.
Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers made up the second largest occupation group in Ilocos Region accounting for 17.1 percent in October 2016 and 15.7 percent in October 2015.
The service and sales workers category was the now the third biggest occupation group with 16.4 percent in October 2016.and likewise in October 2015 with 15.0 percent. Meanwhile, officials of the government and special interest organizations, corporate executives, managers, managing proprietors and supervisors was the fourthlargest group in October 2016 and in October 2015 with 13.1 and 13.4  percent, respectively.
 
 
In terms of percent distribution of employed persons by major industry, workers in the services sector accounted the largest group, making up 54.1 percent percent of the total employed in Ilocos Region both in October 2016 and October 2015.
Workers in the agriculture sector, on the other hand, comprised the second largest group in Ilocos Region, accounting for 34.7 percent and 32.4 percent in October 2016 and October 2015, respectively.
Meanwhile, workers in the industry sector made up 14.6 percent of the total number of employed persons in Ilocos Region in October 2016, and 13.4 percent in October 2015.
 
More than half or 58.4 percent of the employed persons in Ilocos Region worked as wage and salary workers in October 2016. The figure was almost the same with only 0.1 percentage point increase as compared to the estimate obtained in October 2015. Own account workers ranked second in October 2016 with 27.0 percent of the total employed persons in Ilocos Region.   This was lower by 1.2 percentage points as compared to October 2015 with 28.2 percent. Unpaid family workers accounted 8.9 percent in October 2016 which was lower by 0.4 percentage point as compared in October 2015 with 9.3 percent.
 
 For wage and salary workers, the biggest percentage of employed persons were those working in private establishment with 44.4 percent in October 2016 and higher by 0.4 percentage point as compared to October 2015.  Employed persons who worked for government or government controlled corporation shared 8.7 percent in October 2016 but lower by 0.3 percentage point in October 2015 with 9.0 percent. On the other hand, the proportion of individuals who worked for private household was 5.1 percent in October 2016, higher by 0.1 percentage point as compared to 5.0 percent in October 2015. A small portion of 0.2 percent in both October 2016 and October 2015, accounted for persons who worked with pay in own-operated farm or business.
 
 
The average number of hours worked per week of employed persons in Ilocos Region was 41.0 hours.  Male workers tend to have longer average number of working hours per week (41.6 hours) than their female counterparts (40.0 hours). It can also be noted that larger proportion of employed males worked 20 hours or more per week. On the other hand, 21.0 percent of females worked under 20 hours per week against 11.2 percent for males. Likewise, bigger percentage of employed females (0.4 percent) who did not work during the reference period was noted as compared to males (0.3 percent).
In October 2016, 66.7 percent of the unemployed persons in Ilocos Region were males and 33.3 percent were females. Compared to the figure in October 2015, the percentage of unemployed males decreased by 0.1 percentage from 66.8 percent in October 2015 to 66.7 percent in October 2016, while for females, the percentage of unemployed increased by 0.1 percentage point during the same period.
In terms of job hunting, unemployed persons in Ilocos Region looked for work for a month   (4.0 weeks) on the average before landing in a job or stopped looking for a job.  The shortest duration for job hunting was recorded in Cordillera Administrative Region and Caraga with an average of 2.7 weeks, while the longest duration was reported in Western Visayas with 16.2 weeks, on the average.
 
 
Statistical Tables
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TECHNICAL NOTES
 
•    Starting July 2003, the Labor Force Survey (LFS) adopted the 2003 Master Sample Design, with a sample size of approximately 50,000 households.
•    Starting in the January 2012 LFS, the codes for industry adopted the 2009 Philippine Standard Industrial Classification (PSIC).   Prior to this, codes for industry used            the 1994 PSIC.
•    Starting in the January 2012 LFS, more detailed categories for highest grade completed used in the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) were also                      adopted.
•    Starting in the January 2012 LFS, a question on whether a household member is a graduate of a technical vocational course was asked for each person 15 years or            older.
•    Starting April 2005, the new unemployment definition was adopted per NSCB Resolution Number 15 dated October 20, 2004.  As indicated in the said resolution, the          unemployed include all persons who are 15 years and over as of their last birthday and are reported as:  (1) without work and currently available for work and seeking          work; or (2) without work and currently available for work but not seeking work for the following reasons:
1.      Tired/believed no work available
2.      Awaiting results of previous job application
3.      Temporary illness/disability
4.      Bad weather
5.     Waiting for rehire/job recall
 
•   Starting with the January 2007 LFS round, the population projections based on the 2000 Census of Population and Housing was adopted to generate the labor force           statistics. This is in compliance with NSCB Resolution No. 1 series of 2005 entitled “Adoption of the Methodology Used in Generating the 2000 Census of Population           and Housing-Based National Population Projections”.
•   The 2012 Philippine Standard Occupational Classification (PSOC) was adopted starting April 2016.