Bicol ranks at bottom in labor and employment

Bobby Q. Labalan

Sorsogon City- Bicol Region posted the lowest labor force participation rate (LFPR) in 2024 at 59.3 percent and also had the second lowest employment rate at 94.8 percent, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

In its annual provincial labor market survey published July 10, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the region’s figures were both lower compared to the national average on both accounts which stand at 64.4 percent and 96.2 percent, respectively.

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the working-age population that is either employed or actively seeking employment. It represents the proportion of people who are either working or actively looking for work, indicating the supply of labor available for the production of goods and services.

Bicol also scored high in underemployment at 19.6 percent, the third highest nationwide, the PSA data showed.

Underemployment “refers to employed individuals who desire additional work hours, either in their current job or through a new or additional job with longer hours. This encompasses both those working less than 40 hours a week who want more work (visibly underemployed) and those working 40 hours or more who still seek additional work (invisibly underemployed)”, the Department of Labor and Employment said.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded the highest LFPR at 73.5 percent while the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) posted the highest employment rate among regions at 97.5 percent.

Region IV-A (CALABARZON) registered the lowest employment rate of 94.4 percent.

Three other Luzon regions, the National Capital Region (95.2%), Ilocos Region and MIMAROPA Region (96.1%), scored lower than the national average on employment rate pegged at 96.2 percent.

Here in Bicol region, PSA data showed Catanduanes ranked lowest in employment rate at 91.9 percent and, inversely, had the highest unemployment rate 8.1 percent, which was also the highest among provinces in the entire country.

Following Catanduanes in low employment rate is Camarines Sur with 94.2 percent and an unemployment rate of 5.8 percent. Albay and Mabate were tied at third both with 95 percent employment rate and 5 percent unemployment rate, followed by Sorsogon with 95.6 percent employment rate and 4.4 percent unemployment rate while Camarines Norte recorded the highest employment rate at 96 percent and lowest unemployment rate of just 4 percent.

Meanwhile, Sorsogon province recorded the highest LFPR at 65.3 percent, followed by Albay with 59.3 percent, Masbate had 59 percent, Camarines Sur registered 58 percent, Camarines Norte had 56.7 percent and Catanduanes logged 56.3 percent, the PSA figures indicated.