MANILA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Around 3.27 million Filipinos were out of work in December 2021, up from 3.16 million recorded in November despite the easing of pandemic mobility restrictions, according to a Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) survey released on Thursday.
The unemployment rate in the country slightly picked up in December 2021 at 6.6 percent, PSA head Dennis Mapa said in an online briefing.
According to Mapa, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) rose to 65.1 percent in December, the highest in 2021.
"But not all that participated in the labor force landed a job. It is the reason why the unemployment rate increased," Mapa explained.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the slight increase in the unemployment rate "was more than offset by the larger increase in the LFPR."
By accelerating the vaccination program and safely reopening more sectors in the economy, Chua said the government was "able to generate more and better jobs for the people."
However, Chua said he expects "employment outcomes to slightly deteriorate" in January due to the reimposition of stricter quarantine rules.
The Philippines continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. The country now has over 3.6 million confirmed cases, including 54,690 deaths. ■
