The unemployment rate decreased to 6.9 percent in July from 7.7 percent in June, the lowest since the pandemic in April 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said based on the PSA's July Labor Force Survey, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.8 percentage point.

"One of our good news is the decrease in the unemployment rate from 7.7 percent in June 2021 to 6.9 percent in July 2021 based on the July 2021 Labor Force Survey that was released by the PSA today," he said.

"We’re aiming and prioritizing the country’s total health to lessen the unemployment while we strengthen the healthcare capacity," he added.

"In terms of magnitude, there were 3.1 million unemployed persons 15 years old and over in July 2021 which is lower by 1.5 million than the 4.6 million reported in July 2020. The July 2021 figure is also lower by 0.7 million than the 3.8 million reported in June 2021," it stated.

"The country’s employment rate in July was placed at 93.1 percent. This is the highest employment rate since the pandemic in April 2020. The employment rate in July 2020 was reported at 90.0 percent," it noted. Robina Asido/DMS