As of January 2003, population in the economically productive age constitutes about 66.6% of the total city population. This is about 0.40% and 2.72% of the total population in the economically productive age group in the entire country and the National Capital Region, respectively.

Labor force in the city is 58.40%, with the employed accounting for 86.4% and the unemployed, 13.60%. Majority of the employed are male at 56.70% while the female totals 43.10%. It can be said that quality of labor force is good considering the latest data on education which shows that 91.40% of population 15 years old and over have educational attainment ranging from high school to post-Baccalaureate (Table 2.10).

Individuals not economically active but within the economically productive age group are about 41.09% of the latter. These are students, disabled, and the like. In this case, the female population is higher than the male population at 65.06% and 36.14%, respectively (Table 2.11).

In the case of the disabled, the 2000 Census results (Table 2.12a) revealed that about 1.57% (4,385) of the city’s population has disability. Majority of these disabled persons belong to the age bracket of 20-44 years old, which means that most of these persons with disabilities are in their prime productive ages. Table 2.12b also reveals the type of disability that is prevalent, and blindness and low vision are top among other types.

There is staggering figure of mentally ill residents pegged at 2,466. However, NSO data does not specify whether this figure includes both household and institutional residents considering the presence of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) which serves patients from all over the country.

Still, special programs (see Part 7) for this segment of the population is being carried out by the city government to encourage productivity not just in the economic aspect but also in sports and community development.

Compared with the first four cities and its immediate neighbor cities in the NCR, Mandaluyong has the least share of urban employment in the region, majority of which are in the service industry. But unlike the neighboring cities of Makati and Pasig, each with less than 500 individuals still engaged in agricultural activities, employed individuals in the city are all engaged in urban activities, constituting 0.72% and 2.59% of the urban employment in the whole country and the NCR, respectively.

Agricultural activities in the city, of ever there maybe, are done more as a hobby than as a primary source of income and are limited to backyard gardening and recreation.

Figure 2.03 Population by Barangay: Year 2000