INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The number of Filipinos who do not have a job during the last quarter of 2015 has declined, putting the 2015 average joblessness rate to its lowest point since 2004, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported on Tuesday.

The results of the survey, which was first published in BusinessWorld, showed that the jobless rate during the fourth quarter of 2015 was 21.4 percent or an estimated 9.1 million Filipinos—bringing the 2015 average rate at 21.9 percent.

The average jobless rate posted in 2015 is 3.6 percent below the 2014 average rate of 25.4 percent and has been the lowest since the 15.8 percent average rate recorded in 2004.

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The poll also showed that 45 percent of respondents said that they are optimistic that the number of job openings will rise in the next 12 months, 27 percent said that the number will not change, while 16 percent said that there will be fewer jobs.

The numbers resulted to a net optimism on job availability—those who are expecting more jobs in the next 12 months minus those who see less—to a “high” +29. In the third quarter, net optimism was pegged at “fair” +13.

According to the SWS, a net optimism of +30 and above is “very high”, +20 to +29 is “high”, +10 to +19 is “fair”, +1 to +9 is “mediocre”, -9 to zero is “low”, and -10 and below is “very low”.

The survey, which was conducted from December 5 to 8, had 1,200 respondents nationwide and with sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages. CDG

READ: 10M Pinoys still jobless, survey says