The number of jobless Filipinos has increased by almost 2 million during the first three months of 2016, the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reveals.
The nationwide survey conducted from March 30 to April 2, 2016 among 1,500 adult Filipinos found 23.9 percent or an estimated 11 million were unemployed in the first quarter, up from 21.4 percent–about 9.1 million compared
To further define joblessness, SWS said those who fall under this category are individuals 18 years old and above without a job and also looking for a job.
SWS, however, qualified that housewives and retired individuals are excluded from the survey.
The survey results showed that the number of unemployed Filipinos is composed mainly of adults who quit their jobs with 12.8 percent or 5.9 million Filipinos from 9.6 percent or 4.1 million adults in the previous quarter; who were retrenched with 7.2 percent or 3.3 million Filipinos from 8 percent or 3.4 million Filipinos; and first-time jobseekers with 3.8 percent or 1.8 million Filipinos or 3.6 percent or 1.5 million adults.
The 7.2 percent who were retrenched consisted of 5.6 percent whose contracts were not renewed, 1 percent who were laid off, and 0.6 percent whose employers closed operations.
SWS found that onlt 39 percent of Filipinos are optimistic that job openings will increase in the next 12 months, this is lower than the 45 percent who expressed optimism in the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, 31 percent of the respondents expect the number of available jobs will not change, and 15 percent said this will even decrease.
