Labor group Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Semtro) is not impressed by the results of the August 2023 Labor Force Survey.

In a brief statement, Sentro Secretary General Joshua Mata said the underemployment rate remains high even as the unemployment rate for August reached 4.4 percent from 4.8 percent in July.

Similarly, the August underemployment rate stood at 11.7 percent, which is lower than the 15.9 percent in July.

"While employment figures slightly improved, the quality of jobs being generated remain low with slightly less than a fifth of those in the labor force being either unemployed or underemployed," said Mata.

"There seems to be no significant changes in the employment situation in the country," said the labor leader.

"Clearly, the economy’s performance in jobs generation is not improving. The economy’s capacity to generate much needed jobs remain, at best, mediocre," added Mata. DMS