Cagayan de Oro City (8 July) -- A total of 1,837,000 persons was employed in Northern Mindanao by industry group, as of the start of the year, the January 2010 Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO) show.

Of this figure, 859,000 individuals were employed by the services sector representing the highest share of 46.7 percent of the total number of employed persons by industry group, Salvador A. Aves, Ph.D., Regional Director of NSO-10, said.

This was followed by the agriculture sector with 779,000 persons or 42.4 percent and the industry sector with 200,000 persons or 10.9 percent.

Meanwhile, the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and personal and household goods posted the highest number of employees in the services sector with 360,000 or 19.6 percent.

Next was transport, storage and communication with 112, 000 persons or 6.1 percent, public administration, defense and compulsory social security, 110,000 persons or six (6) percent, private households, 98,000 persons or 5.3 percent and education, 57,000 or 3.1 percent.

Other community, social and personal service activities, 39,000 persons or 2.1 percent, real estate, renting and business activities, 34,000 or 1.9 percent, health and social works, 17,000 persons or 0.9 percent, hotels and restaurants, 16,000 persons or 0.9 percent and financial intermediation, 15,000 persons or 0.8 percent.

In the agriculture sector, 714,000 persons or 38.9 percent were employed in agriculture, hunting and forestry while 65,000 persons or 3.5 percent were employed in fishing.

Likewise, in the industry sector, 97,000 persons or 5.3 percent were employed in construction, 89,000 persons or 4.9 percent in manufacturing, 10,000 persons or 0.6 percent in electricity, gas and water and 4,000 persons or 0.2 percent in mining and quarrying. (PIA 10)