Sari-sari stores become hubs for women empowerment

Sari-sari stores are becoming hubs for cultivating psychological, social and economic empowerment among Filipina entrepreneurs, according to a study by startup Packworks in collaboration with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

Findings of the PIDS- published study entitled “Gender, Microentrepreneurship, Human Flourishing: Exploring the Experiences of Women Sari-sari Store Owners toward Inclusive Growth” showed that sari-sari stores are not just a primary source of daily essentials but have also become a vital source of empowerment among women entrepreneurs.

“The results of the study suggest that women, through their ownership of sari-sari stores, are able to achieve individual well-being while also extending it to their own communities,” the study said.

“Thus, this study offered a nuanced perspective on the significance of sari-sari stores, not only to the economic development of communities, but the individual and social well-being of its women owners,” it added.

The study highlighted that women sari-sari store owners take pride in being considered entrepreneurs and business owners, which provides them a sense of independence, confidence, and fulfillment from managing their micro-retail businesses.

In addition, participants in the study also expressed that managing and operating sari-sari stores gives them a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

“I can buy things for myself, my kid and my family now. I am not just a housewife anymore,” one participant in the study said. “Because of my store, I am now busy with other things apart from taking care of my family. I feel more fulfilled.”

The PIDS-published study also demonstrates that women store owners achieve social empowerment by earning higher social status. This is notably observed in their customers addressing them with terms of respect like ‘ma’am’ or ‘boss,’ a cultural marker of their elevated position within the community.

Moreover, women sari-sari store owners who exhibited characteristics of a transformational leader or qualities such as strong empathy, care, and collaboration with the community reported high levels of well-being, empowerment, optimism, and resilience.

“By becoming more independent and confident, women store owners were able to take on important roles within their communities,” Packworks said.

Gender Microentrepreneurship.pdf

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Source: Philstar

Philippine unemployment rate rises to 4.3% in January

There were 2.16 million jobless Filipinos in January, up from 1.63 million unemployed in December as the wealth of seasonal jobs during the Christmas rush might have started to wane, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

That was equivalent to an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, worse than the 3.1 percent rate in December 2024.

At the same time, there were 6.47 million employed individuals who sought additional jobs or extra working hours in January to augment their income, higher than 5.48 million in the preceding month.

Philippine historical jobs data

That translated to an underemployment rate of 13.3 percent, worse than the 10.9 percent previously.

The unemployment rate also worsened from last year’s full-year average rate of 3.8 percent.

By broad industry group, services continued to be the top sector in terms of the number of employed persons with a share of 61.6 percent of total employed persons in January 2025. The agriculture and industry sectors accounted for 21.1 percent and 17.2 percent of the total number of employed persons, respectively.

Source: Inquirer

2024 jobless rate lowest in 19 years

Unemployment fell to its lowest in 19 years in 2024 and job quality also improved to its best showing over the same period, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

The country's jobless rate edged down to 3.1 percent — equivalent to 1.63 million Filipinos — in December, from 3.2 percent a month earlier, while underemployment, which counts those looking for more work or an extra job (5.48 million for the month), picked up to 10.9 percent from 10.8 percent.

This led to full-year unemployment and underemployment hitting 3.8 percent and 11.9 percent, which National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said were the lowest since 2005.

He attributed the yearend gains to a seasonal demand for labor during the holidays that saw a total of 50.19 million Filipinos with jobs in December, or an employment rate of 96.9 percent.

The services sector continued to account for the bulk of jobs with a 60.5-percent share of the employed, followed by agriculture (21.3 percent) and industry (18.3 percent).

The transportation and storage and construction sectors added the most jobs during the month at 555,000 and 263,000, respectively.

Agriculture and forestry, on the other hand, shed 1.56 million in a reflection of the continued impact of a series of severe storms that battered the country in the fourth quarter.

Wage and salary workers comprised the majority of those with jobs at 63.1 percent in December, followed by the self-employed without any paid employees (28.5 percent), unpaid family workers (6.8 percent) and employers in own-family operated farms or businesses (1.6 percent).

The private sector provided most of the wage and salary jobs with a 78.9-percent share and the government and state-owned firms accounted for 14.4 percent.

Youth employment, however, fell to 90.9 percent in December from 90.6 percent a month earlier.

The overall labor force participation rate (LFPR) — a measure of the working age population who are actively looking for jobs or are employed — slipped to 65.1 percent from 66.6 percent in December 2023.

The youth LFPR fell to 31.9 percent from 35.5 percent while that for women dropped to 54.7 percent from 56.3 percent, which the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) respectively attributed to schooling and household responsibilities.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that it was "crucial" to sustain economic growth and provide higher-earning opportunities for Filipinos.

"The government remains committed to advancing both supply- and demand-side measures that will foster a more dynamic labor environment...," he added.

"To align with workforce trends and industry demands, the government is promoting more inclusive work arrangements that meet the needs of individuals from diverse backgrounds, reducing barriers to labor force participation," the NEDA chief also said.

The Department of Finance, meanwhile, said the annual unemployment and underemployment rates were the lowest since the PSA began compiling comparable data in 2005.

It noted that the annual jobless rate of 3.8 percent was below the 4.4- to 4.7-percent set in the 2023-2023 Philippine Development Plan and the 2028 target of 4.0-5.0 percent.

Finance Secretary Ralph Reco said the government was "focusing heavily" on education, infrastructure and human development improvements to make the Filipino workforce globally competitive.

Press-Release-for-December-2024-LFS.pdf

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Source: Manila Times