MANILA - A SLOWING economy pushed the Philippines' jobless rate to 6.8 per cent in October, half a percentage point up from a year earlier, the government said on Tuesday.

Some 34.5 million of the estimated 37.1 million people in the labour force held down jobs, compared to 33.7 million in October 2007, according to National Statistics Office data.

The economy grew 4.6 per cent over the nine months to September amid a global financial crisis, which was well down from its 7.2 per cent for the whole of 2007.

Official data show about half of those employed worked in the services sector, 35.7 per cent worked in the farm and fisheries sectors, and 14.7 per cent in the industrial sector.

Despite the higher year-on-year unemployment rate, the October figure was slightly down from the 7.4 per cent rate recorded in July, the last time the quarterly survey was taken.

No explanation was given for the difference. -- AFP