RP unemployment rate rises to 12.7%

RP unemployment rate rises to 12.7%

MANILA: The Philippines' jobless rate rose to 12.7 percent in
July, the government said on Tuesday.

The figure was half a percentage point higher than the 12.2
percent unemployment rate in April, and 1.5 percentage points
above the year-earlier figure of 11.2 percent, the National
Statistics Office said in a statement.

It gave no explanation.

About 34.8 percent of the labor force is employed in
agriculture, while 48.6 percent are in the services sector.
Industry accounted for 16.6 percent.--AFP