The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) – La Union Provincial Statistical Office conducts the monthly Labor Force Survey (LFS) December 2023 round on 08 to 28 December 2023 in randomly selected sample households in La Union.

The monthly LFS aims to provide high frequency statistical information on the Philippine labor market to better monitor and understand the current job situation and economy in the Philippines, as well as the impact of the current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis. Results of the monthly LFS serve as bases for planning, formulation of policies, and implementing programs to create gainful employment and bolster livelihood opportunities for Filipinos, particularly those who were adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

For this survey round, PSA-La Union hired two Statistical Researchers (SRs) to visit a total of 97 sample households from seven enumeration areas in the province through the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) approach using tablets.

PSA-La Union enjoins the sample households to participate in the survey by providing truthful and complete data. Respondents are assured that all gathered information will be held with the utmost confidentiality pursuant to Section 19 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act, and Section 26 of RA 10625, otherwise known as the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013.

Meanwhile, the PSA released on 07 December 2023, the results of the LFS October 2023 round. Some of the highlights of the October 2023 LFS report in the country are as follows:

1. The employment rate in the country was estimated at 95.8 percent in October 2023, the highest recorded employment rate since April 2005 and the same with estimated rate in November 2022. In terms of levels, the number of employed persons 15 years old and over was recorded at 47.80 million in October 2023, which was higher compared with 47.06 million in October 2022 and 44.63 million in July 2023.

2. In October 2023, the country’s unemployment rate was posted at 4.2 percent, which was lower compared with the 4.5 percent unemployment rate in October last year and 4.8 percent rate recorded in July 2023. The reported unemployment rate in October 2023 was the lowest since April 2005.

3. The labor force participation rate (LFPR) in October 2023 was registered at 63.9 percent, translating to 49.89 million Filipinos who were either employed or unemployed. This LFPR was lower than the reported rate in October 2022 at 64.1 percent, but higher than the LFPR in July 2023 at 60.1 percent.

4. Underemployed persons or those employed who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their current job or to have an additional job or to have a new job with longer hours of work was recorded at 5.60 million out of the 47.80 million employed Filipinos in October 2023. This translates to an underemployment rate of 11.7 percent, which was lower than the reported underemployment rate in October 2022 (14.2%) and July 2023 (15.9%).

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, PhD
Chief Statistical Specialist

RBP/MBL