The country’s unemployment rate in April 2013 rose to 7.5 percent from 6.9 percent in the same month last year with the National Capital Region (NCR) and Calabarzon posting higher unemployment rates of 10 percent.
The National Statistics Office (NSO) reported a drop in employment rate in April to 92.5 percent from 93.1 percent in the same month last year.
The drop in the employment rate is due to the decline in employment in the agriculture sector, with the number of agricultural workers falling from an estimated 12.468 million in April 2012 to 11.844 million in April 2013.
The total number of employed persons in April 2013 declined to 37.819 million compared to 37.84 million in April 2012. While employment in the agriculture sector had dropped, employment in the industry sector and services sector grew by 3.8 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.
Workers in the services sector remained the largest group of workers, making up more than half at 52.6% of the total employed. Agricultural workers comprised the second largest group, accounting for 31.3 percent of the total employed. Workers in the industry sector made up 16.1 percent.
Among the workers in the services sector, those engaged in wholesale and retail trade or in the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles made up the largest percentage.
In the industry sector, workers in the manufacturing subsector accounted for the largest percentage, making up 52.3 percent of the total workers in this subsector.

Source: Manila Bulletin - June 12, 2013