DAVAO CITY: Over 60 percent of individuals aged 15 and older in the Davao Region participated in the labor force in 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority-Davao Region (PSA-11) reported Monday. This significant engagement in the workforce represents 2.43 million individuals from the region's estimated 3.77 million working-age population.

According to Philippines News Agency, Davao Occidental led the provinces with the highest labor force participation rate (LFPR) at 71.9 percent, followed by Davao Oriental at 67 percent. Conversely, Davao del Norte reported the lowest LFPR at 61.3 percent, with Davao del Sur, Davao City, and Davao de Oro posting rates of 66.1 percent, 63.6 percent, and 63.1 percent, respectively.

The region's employment rate for 2023 reached 96.9 percent, surpassing the national rate of 95.7 percent by 1.2 percentage points. Davao del Sur registered the highest employment rate, with nearly 97 percent of its labor force economically active and employed. The unemployment rate in the region stood at 3.1 percent, equating to approximately 75,000 individuals, marking a significant improvement compared to the unemployment rates of 4.8 percent in 2021 and 4.0 percent in 2022.

Davao City recorded the highest unemployment rate in 2023 at 4.1 percent, impacting around 35,000 individuals. It was followed by Davao Oriental at 3.8 percent. The other provinces-Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental, and Davao del Sur-reported unemployment rates below 3 percent, showcasing a generally positive trend in employment within the region.