DESPITE AQUINO EFFORTS, MORE PEOPLE ARE JOBLESS IN PHILIPPINES

MANILA, Philippines - The number of unemployed Filipinos grew by 1.4 million, from 9.9 million last November to 11.3 million in March, the Social Weather Stations (SWS), a private survey firm, said. The unemployment rate rose to 27.2 per cent in March, from 23.5 per cent in November.
The survey was done on 1,200 respondents from March 4 to 7. Nine per cent of the jobless Filipinos include people who lost their jobs, 10 per cent voluntarily resigned, and seven per cent were new graduates or looking for jobs for the first time.

• President Benigno Aquino has been working hard to create jobs for all Filipinos, a spokesman said, yet it is reported that more Filipinos have become jobless since he took office last year.
  
• The global financial crisis bites, Filipino migrant workers face the prospect of losing their jobs abroad and returning home unemployed and often in debt.
• A mass influx of returned, unemployed workers could weigh on the Philippines which has one of the highest unemployment rates in Southeast Asia and one of the highest poverty rates, with one-third of the population living below the poverty line.

Source: Agency