Underemployed Women

Reference Number:

2009-06

Release Date:

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Underemployment rate among women at 12.8 percent

Underemployed persons are employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or an additional job, or have a new job with longer working hours. They were estimated at 6.0 million in October 2008. Of this number, 28.1 percent are women (1.7 million). This translates to an underemployment rate (the proportion of underemployed women to total employed women) of 12.8 percent for women. Underemployment rate among men is reported at 20.4 percent.

CAR registers the highest underemployment rate among women

More than half (51.1%) of the total underemployed women are in Luzon, 25.7 percent in Mindanao, and the remaining 23.2 percent in Visayas. The largest number of underemployed women is found in CALABARZON with 192 thousand or an 11.4 percent contribution to the total underemployed women while the lowest percentage is registered in ARMM with 2.5 percent. CALABARZON is followed by Western Visayas and Bicol Region having the most number of underemployed women with 10.3 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.

Two regions register high underemployment rates among women, with more than 20 percent of the regions’ employed women are underemployed. These are Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) (22.7%) and Bicol Region (21.8%). Meanwhile, the region with the lowest underemployment rate among women is Central Luzon at 4.1 percent. Underemployed women are mostly in the age groups 25 to 54 years Underemployed men are generally younger than underemployed women. Of the total underemployed men, 18.9 percent belong to age group 15 ‐ 24 years; 27.8 percent, 25 ‐ 34 years; and 25.8 percent, 35 ‐ 44 years. Meanwhile, underemployed women are mostly distributed among age groups 25 ‐ 34 years (24.2%), 35 ‐ 44 years (26.7%), and 45 ‐ 54 years (22.5%).

One in every four underemployed women attended or completed college

One‐fourth (25.1%) of underemployed women attended or completed college education while it was 15.9 percent among underemployed men. Almost the same proportions are recorded for underemployed women who attended or finished high school (36.5%) and elementary (36.4%). Among underemployed men, 41.7 percent reached elementary and 40.4 percent, high school.

Underemployed women are mostly in the age groups 25 to 54 years

Underemployed men are generally younger than underemployed women. Of the total underemployed men, 18.9 percent belong to age group 15 ‐ 24 years; 27.8 percent, 25 ‐ 34 years; and 25.8 percent, 35 ‐ 44 years. Meanwhile, underemployed women are mostly distributed among age groups 25 ‐ 34 years (24.2%), 35 ‐ 44 years (26.7%), and 45 ‐ 54 years (22.5%).

Two‐thirds of underemployed women are part‐time workers

Two in every three (66.0%) of the total underemployed women are part‐time workers or those who work for less than 40 hours during the reference week, most of them working for less than 20 hours (34.7% of total underemployed women). Full‐time workers or those who work for 40 hours or more comprise 32.5 percent of the total underemployed women. On the average, underemployed women work for about 29 hours while underemployed men, 33 hours.

Laborers and unskilled workers comprise the largest group among underemployed women

Of the various occupation groups, the laborers and unskilled workers comprise the largest group, making up 46.8 percent of the total underemployed women in October 2008. Officials of the government, corporate executives, managers, managing proprietors, and supervisors came next with the most number of underemployed women totaling to 206 thousand (12.2% of the total underemployed women).

Services sector comprises half of the total underemployed women

Most of the underemployed women are working in the services sector (53.6%) and agriculture sector (35.5%). The underemployed women in the industry sector accounts for 10.8 percent. On the other hand, more than half (54.0%) of the underemployed men are engaged in the agriculture sector; 29.1 percent, services sector; and 16.9 percent, industry sector.