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Image from Philippine Statistics Authority<\/p>\nThis is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\tWhile an additional 1.04 million Filipinos participate in the labor force by either working or job hunting, only 463,000 of them land new jobs\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
MANILA, Philippines \u2013 The Philippines\u2019 unemployment rate worsened to 5% in October 2025 as the labor market struggled to absorb an influx of job seekers, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday, December 10.<\/p>\n
The latest unemployment figure translates to 2.54 million jobless Filipinos, which is higher than the 3.8% or 1.96 million Filipinos recorded in September 2025 and the 3.9% or 1.97 million jobless Filipinos logged in October 2024.<\/p>\n
Underemployment in October also grew to 12%, equivalent to 5.81 million Filipinos, from 11.1% or 5.52 million Filipinos in September.<\/p>\n
National Statistician Dennis Mapa noted an increase in labor force participation, which includes Filipinos who are working and seeking jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAng labor force participation tumaas ng mga 1.04 million\u2026. Out of those additional na nag-participate, 463,000 ang nagkaroon ng trabaho at 576,000 ay hindi nagkaroon ng trabaho,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
(Labor force participation went up by around 1.04 million. Out of those additional people who participated, 463,000 got jobs and 576,000 did not.)<\/p>\n
The public administration sector added the most jobs in October year-on-year with 257,000 additional workers. Jobs in agriculture and manufacturing \u2014 two sectors which often shed jobs earlier in the year \u2014 also gained more workers in October.<\/p>\n
Image from Philippine Statistics Authority<\/p>\n
Mapa attributed the agriculture sector\u2019s job gains to a surge in jobs tied to the growing of palay, which he noted usually peaks in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, jobs in other service activities such as computer repairs, personal and household goods, laundry services, and domestic services dropped by 520,000 year-on-year.<\/p>\n
The number of Filipinos aged 15 to 24 years old who are not working or studying also increased to 13% or 2.62 million young Filipinos.<\/p>\n
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) vowed to integrate labor market information to improve industry-skills matching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan also noted that generating more quality jobs depends on the implementation of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan and the Philippine Development Plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGuided by these plans, the government will boost workforce competitiveness by accelerating learning pathways and expanding lifelong learning opportunities, equipping workers with in-demand skills such as digital literacy, green technology capabilities, and expertise in higher-value services,\u201d he said. \u2013 with reports from Arriane dela Cruz\/Rappler.com<\/p>\n