In 2023, the estimated employed persons in CALABARZON was about 7.1 million. Male workers outnumbered female workers by about 1.1 million. About 4.1 million (57.2 percent), were male workers while 42.8 percent were female workers which translates to about 3.0 million female workers.

Employed persons from 2021 to 2023    
The estimated number of employed persons in CALABARZON in 2021 and 2022 were about 6.6 million and 7.0 million, respectively. The number of employed persons in CALABARZON increases every year. There is a notable increase from 2021 to 2022 recorded at 7.1 percent or about 468 thousand additional workers. An increase of 1.2 percent or about 85 thousand workers was noted from 2022 to 2023.

Employed Persons by Sex
Over the course of three years, it has been consistent that there were more male workers than female workers. For years 2021, 2022, and 2023, about 4 in 10 employed persons in CALABARZON were female.

Employed Persons by Class Worker
In 2023, it is estimated that 71.7 percent or 5.1 million workers in CALABARZON were wage and salary workers. This means that 7 out of 10 workers in the region worked for private household, private establishment, government, or family-owned business (with pay). Meanwhile, 21.3 percent and 5.3 percent of the workers were self-employed and unpaid family workers, respectively. The class of workers who were employer comprised 1.7 percent of the total.

About three out of four or 75.7 percent male workers were wage and salary workers in CALABARZON. Self-employed and Unpaid family workers comprised 18.9 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. The class with the least number of male workers accounting for about 70 thousand (1.7 percent) were those who are employers.

About 2.0 million female workers or 66.4 percent were wage and salary workers. Moreover, almost one in four (24.5 percent) were self-employed. Female workers who were unpaid family workers and employers comprised 7.4 and 1.8 percent, respectively.

Employment by Major Industry Group
In 2023, most workers in CALABARZON or about 4.8 million workers were engaged in Services industry. Specifically, about 57.3 percent of male workers and 79.9 percent of female workers were employed in Services industries. Approximately 31.9 percent of male workers and 15.6 percent of female workers were employed in the Industry sector. Agriculture was the least preferred sector, employing 10.8 percent of male workers and 4.4 percent of female workers.

Employed Persons by Industry
Of the estimated 4.1 million male workers in the region, 18.6 percent or about 760 thousand were employed in the Construction industry. The next industry preferred by male workers which employed about 652 thousand male workers is Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles. Further, the third industry with the highest number of male workers is Transportation and storage with share of 13.9 percent or about 567 thousand male workers. Moreover, 12.4 percent of male workers were engaged in Manufacturing industry while 8.5 percent worked in the Agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry. The top five industry groups employed 69.3 percent of the estimated total employed male in CALABARZON in 2023.

Out of the estimated 3.0 million female workers in CALABARZON, approximately 994 thousand (32.6 percent) were employed in Wholesale and retail trade and Repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles. The next industries commonly joined by female workers in the region are Manufacturing and Accommodation and food service activities with shares of 14.6 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively. About 207 thousand female workers were engaged in Administrative and support service activities. While about 170 thousand were part of the Education sector.

Employment by Occupation
In 2023, about 1.1 million male workers which comprised 26.5 percent of male workers were engaged in Elementary occupation that include cleaning, food preparation assistance, and delivery. Plant machine operators and assemblers, and Service and sales workers were the next top occupations of male workers with shares of 17.0 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively. Male workers doing Craft and related trades had a share of 12.6 percent. Furthermore, about 250 thousand employed males were Skilled agricultural forestry and fishery workers.

There were about 1.1 million Service and sales female workers which constituted about 35.6 percent of the total female workforce in CALABARZON. About 612 thousand female workers were engaged in Elementary Occupation. There were about 370 thousand female Clerical support workers and about 286 thousand female Professionals. Moreover, about 6.4 percent of female workers (195 thousand) were Technicians and associate professionals.

Underemployment by Sex and Number of Hours Worked
The estimated number of underemployed persons in the region in 2023 was around 1.0 million. More than six in ten workers (62.3 percent) of the underemployed were male workers or about 650 thousand workers. On the other hand, about 390 thousand female workers wanted more hours of work which represented 37.7 percent of the total of underemployed workers in 2023.

In 2023, it is notable that there were more male workers, estimated at around 61.9 percent, who wanted to have more working hours compared to female workers.

About 564 thousand workers or 53.8 percent of underemployed workers in CALABARZON in 2023 worked for less than 40 hours per week. While 46.2 percent or 484 thousand underemployed workers worked for 40 or more hours per week.

(SGD.)
CHARITO C. ARMONIA
Regional Director

COB/JGM/PAL