The number of unemployed Filipinos decreased by four-tenths of a percent as of July this year compared to last year’s figures, according to the Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO).

According to the July 2008 LFS, the number of Filipinos without jobs now stands at 7.4 percent compared to the 7.8 percent tallied during the same period last year.

The report noted that the highest unemployment rate remains in the National Capital region with 12.8 percent followed Regions 4-A (Calabarzon) and 3 (Central Luzon) with 10.4 and 9.4 percent, respectively.

Among those who are jobless, 61.7 percent were found to be males while the remaining 38.3 percent are female.

Unemployed persons are identified as those individuals that are either those who are without work but currently available for work and seeking work or those without work and currently available for work but not seeking work for different reasons such as temporary illness, awaiting job application feedback or are simply tired of working.

Also, the number of underemployed persons went down by 1 percent, from 22 percent in 2007 to 21 percent this year.

Majority of those underemployed, or those working less than 40 hours a week, belong to the agriculture and services sectors.

On the other hand, employment rate naturally rose by a similar .4 percent compared to last year during the same period.

From last year’s 92.2 employment rate, the July 2008 LFS said that the rate now stands at 92.6 percent.