1.37 million child laborers in 2021 – PSA data

MANILA, Philippines — The number of children working in the country went up in 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Data from the PSA showed there were 1.37 million working children aged five to 17 years old in 2021, higher than the 872,333 children of the same age range working in 2020.

“The number of working children was higher among boys compared with girls,” the PSA said.

Of the 1.37 million working children in 2021, it said 62.8 percent or 858,000 were boys, while girls had a 37.2 percent share or 508,200.

Majority of the children who were working belonged to the 15- to 17-year-old age group, accounting for 63.8 percent of the total.

By sector, the PSA said agriculture had the highest proportion of working children at 45.7 percent.

This was followed by the services sector, which accounted for 45.4 percent of the total working children, while the industry sector had the lowest share with nine percent.

“Majority of the working children worked for 20 hours or less per week,” the PSA said.

In particular, 55.9 percent of the total working children in 2021 worked 20 hours or less per week, higher than the 53 percent who were engaged in the same hours of work in 2020.

Children who worked for 21 to 40 hours rose to 27.6 percent in 2021 from 26.7 percent in 2020.

Across regions, Northern Mindanao had the highest proportion of working children at 12.5 percent in 2021.

Caraga came in next with 11.1 percent and Region XII or SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos) at 7.4 percent.

The PSA said the total number of working children considered to be engaged in child labor also increased to 935,120 in 2021 from 596,919 in 2020.

It added that child labor includes undesirable activities or work done in a hazardous environment, work rendered for more than 40 hours by those who are 15 to 17 years old and work by children below 15 years old exceeding the allowable hours.

Of the total working children engaged in child labor in 2021, 67 percent were boys, while 33 percent were girls.

By age group, those who are 15 to 17 years old accounted for the bulk or over 60 percent of the total engaged in child labor.

In terms of industry group, 61.9 percent of child laborers were in the agriculture sector, 31.9 percent were in the services sector and 6.1 percent were in the industry sector.

Among regions, Northern Mindanao had the biggest share of the country’s child laborers at 14.8 percent, followed by Central Visayas at 10 percent.

On the other hand, the National Capital Region had the lowest share at 1.2 percent.