SWS: Joblessness improves in Q1

MANILA, Philippines - A recent Social Weather Stations survey shows the number of jobless Filipinos went down in the first quarter. The survey, which was first published in BusinessWorld, shows joblessness dropped 25.7 percent, equivalent to 11.5 million Filipinos, compared to the previous quarter's 12 million (27.5 percent). The survey shows unemployed was dominated by those who voluntarily left their jobs (11.4 percent or 5.1 million), while some were retrenched (10.7 percent or 4.8 million). The survey covered 1,200 respondents. Thirty-six percent said they expect the number of job openings to increase in the next 12 months, while 23 percent said fewer jobs would be available. - ANC