Joblessness Drops, But Still Above Pre-Pandemic Levels - SWS

The latest survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that joblessness in the Philippines has decreased in May 2021, although it is still higher than pre-pandemic levels. The survey was conducted from May 8-16, 2021 and surveyed 1,555 adults aged 18 years old and above from all over the country. 

According to the survey results, an estimated 11.2 million Filipinos were unemployed in May 2021, a decrease of 2.4 million from 13.6 million reported in April 2021. This is also lower than the 16.7 million unemployed Filipinos reported in March 2020, just before the start of the pandemic. 

In terms of joblessness rate, the survey found that it decreased to 22% in May 2021, down from 25.5% in April 2021 and 33.3% in March 2020. The decrease was mainly due to the decline in involuntary part-time employment and underemployment rates which fell to 4.8% and 15%, respectively, in May 2021 from 7.1% and 19.5% reported in April 2021. 

However, despite the decrease in joblessness rate, SWS noted that it is still higher compared to pre-pandemic levels when it was at 17.3% in December 2019. Moreover, they also pointed out that there are still more than double the number of unemployed Filipinos compared to pre-pandemic levels when it was at 5.4 million in December 2019. 

In response to this situation, SWS urged the government to continue its efforts to create more jobs and provide additional assistance to those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. They also called on employers to be more mindful of their employees’ welfare and ensure that they are given fair wages and benefits for their work. 

Overall, while joblessness has decreased since last month, it is still higher than pre-pandemic levels according to the latest survey from Social Weather Stations (SWS). This highlights the need for continued government efforts to create more jobs and provide assistance to those affected by the pandemic.