Based on the 2007 October round of the Labor Force Survey of the National Statistics Office, 63,000 or nearly one-fourth (23.3%) of the total women workers in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) were self-employed. Women employers comprised 2,000 or 0.7 percent of total employed women (see Figure 1). Women who are either self-employed or employers are classified as “own account workers.” Unpaid family workers, which comprise 38.5 percent of the total, made up the bulk of women workers in CAR in 2007. Wage and salary workers were not far behind with a share of 37.4 percent during the same period.

TRounding up the top ten tourist markets were Germany (4.8%), Canada (4.2%), France (3.9%), Australia (3.6%), China (3.4%), the United Kingdom (3.2%) and the Netherlands (2.2%). On an annual basis, the Americans were the dominant tourist group until they were overtaken by the Japanese in 2003 and by the Koreans in 2005, 2006, 2007 and in 2009.

In October 2007, about 7,000 women or 2.5 percent of women workers were unemployed (see Figure 2). This was the lowest unemployment rate attained during the five-year period, 2003 – 2007 with the highest at 8.9 percent in 2004. Conversely, the highest employment rate was obtained in 2007 at 97.5 percent, and the lowest in 2004 at 91.1 percent. Except in 2004, there was generally a decreasing trend of unemployment during the period of analysis.

Unemployment rate is obtained by dividing the number of unemployed persons by the total number of persons in the labor force. The labor force is defined as the population 15 years old and over who contribute to the production of goods and services.

It excludes persons who are not working and are not available for work like housewives, students, disabled or retired persons and seasonal workers.

Source of Data: National Statistics Office

This March 2009, the nation celebrates Women’s Month with the theme: Babae, Yaman Ka ng Bayan. This year’s theme underscores the vital role of women in nation-building and recognizes that women can contribute to poverty alleviation. In response to the current global financial crisis, it is timely to harness the women in order to foster a “gender-responsive environment to encourage and support them to venture into high-value and more meaningful economic activities and enterprise development.” (www.ncrfw.gov.ph)