Income Distribution
The inequality in income distribution is high. And unfortunately it is the Philippine government, despite the strong economic growth failed to reduce poverty in the country. According to the World Bank on the contrary, it has risen as high as 30% in 2003 to 33% in 2006, and this is against the trend of the Southeast Asia region, where poverty has generally declined. A major reason is the high population growth of about 2% (about 2 million per year). More recent figures on poverty trends are not available.Poverty in the Philippines is unevenly distributed regionally, especially in rural areas it is much higher than in urban areas. Is the poorest province in the Muslim part of the Philippines (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, ARMM). The poverty of the region is one of the reasons that the peace negotiations between the government and Muslim rebels have not yet been successful.
Unemployment also remains a pressing problem. The unemployment rate is 2010 but decreased slightly (7.3% estimated). Among the officially unemployed but are about 19% underemployment (employed persons seeking a full time job, but are employed only part-time). In addition, over 1 million people each year leave the country to seek work abroad - with increasing tendency. The deployment of migrant workers abroad, on the one hand, helps to relieve the domestic labor market and to earn foreign exchange. She leads the other hand, an ever more pronounced among skilled workers in domestic concentration, which is reflected in a lack of skilled workers in the country. The new government is trying to work against this development and has made job creation for low-skilled people in rural areas as one of its priorities.
