INDEX POINTS The CPI for All Items in SOCCSKSARGEN Region increased by 7.2 index points in November 2021 from 128.7 index points in November 2020. The average retail price of commodities included in the market basket for all goods and services for the month under review increased by 35.9 percent from the 2012-based year.

Working children and child labor situation in SOCCSKSARGEN Region based on the final results of October 2019 and October 2020.

The CPI for All Items in SOCCSKSARGEN Region increased by 6.8 index point in December 2021 from 129.7 index points in December 2020. The average retail price of commodities included in the market basket for all goods and services for the month under review increased by 36.5 percent from the 2012- based year.

Employment Situation in SOCCSKSARGEN Region based in the preliminary results of October 2021 Round Labor Force Survey (LFS).

In July 2021, Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households decreased by 5.3% from 5.5% in June 2021. Sustaining a double digit figure at 32.0%, Transport recorded the highest inflation rate from 35.6% in the previous month along with Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 13.1%. Maintaining their previous month’s figures were Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (3.2%) and Education (0.3%) while faster price upticks were recorded in Furnishing, Household Equipment and Routine Maintenance of the House (from 1.0% to 1.7%), and Recreation and Culture (from 0.6% to 1.8%).

In September 2021, Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households went down to 6.5% from 6.7% in August 2021. Transport posted the highest inflation rate at a double digit record of 15.3% among the commodity groups along with Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 14.7%.

Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households increased by 5.5% in June 2021 from 5.2% in May 2021. Transport recorded the highest inflation rate sustaining a double digit figure of 35.6% along with Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 14.3%. Faster annual price hikes were also observed in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (from 2.8% to 3.2%), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels (from 2.8% to 4.7%), and Recreation and Culture (from 0.2% to 0.6%).

SOCCSKSARGEN Region’s inflation rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households in August 2021 rose to 6.6% from 5.3% in July 2021. Transport recorded the highest inflation rate among the commodity groups at 29.0% sustaining a double digit figure from 32.0% in the previous month along with Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 14.5%.

The Inflation Rate for the Bottom 30% Income Households for May 2021 dropped by 5.1% from 5.4% in April 2021. Transport had the highest inflation rate among the commodity groups at 36.3% sustaining a double digit figure from 35.8% in April 2021. Higher inflation was noted in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels (from 2.0% to 2.6%), Health (from 1.6% to 1.8%), and Recreation and Culture (from 0.0% to 0.2%).

Total external trade up The sum of external trade in goods in SOCCSKSARGEN Region amounted to US$147.510 million in May 2021, a decrease of 11.1 from US$ 166.569 million in May 2020. (Table 1).