MANILA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 7.3 million Filipinos lost their jobs in April as the unemployment rate in the Philippines rose to a record high 17.7 percent due to the economic slowdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Friday.
"This is a record high in the unemployment rate, reflecting the effects of COVID-19 economic shutdown to the Philippine labor market," PSA Head Claire Dennis Mapa said in a virtual media briefing.
The unemployment rate in January 2020 was 5.3 percent while in April 2019, it was recorded at 5.1 percent.
"In terms of the magnitude, the number of unemployed persons increased by 5 million from 2.3 million in April 2019 to 7.3 million in April 2020," Mapa said.
The Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte placed Metro Manila and the rest of the main island of Luzon under lockdown in mid-March to stem the spread of the deadly virus.
All regions in Luzon have been under quarantine and have been effectively shut off from the rest of the country to stem the surge of human-to-human infection. Luzon, which accounts for 56 percent of the country's population and contributes 73 percent to the GDP, is on a standstill in terms of the suspended economic activities.
Other provinces in the central and southern Philippines also imposed similar restrictions.
The COVID-19 cases continued to rise despite the imposition of lockdown restrictions. The Philippines now has 20,382 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 4,248 recoveries and 984 deaths. Enditem
