2.66 million Filipinos jobless in February 2026

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April 8, 2026 | 10:43am

MANILA, Philippines — There were 2.66 million Filipinos who were unemployed in February 2026, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday, April 8. 

This is lower compared to the 2.96 million jobless in January 2026, but higher than the 1.94 million recorded in February 2025. 

In terms of percentages, the Philippines’ unemployment rate slightly eased to 5.1% in February 2026 from the previous month’s 5.8%. 

This likewise indicates a slight increase in the employment rate in February 2026, which stands at 94.9% from 94.2%. This means that 49.43 million people were employed within that month. 

The PSA also recorded an underemployment rate of 11.8%. This means that 5.84 million employed people expressed the need for more work hours or second jobs. 

The average Filipino worker puts in around 40.9 hours of work per week in February. 

Meanwhile, the services sector still comprised the largest part of the employment pie at 63.5%, they are followed by the Agriculture and Industry sectors at 18.8% and 17.7% respectively. 

In terms of subsectors, the following have the highest number of employees: wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (20.0%), agriculture and forestry (16.0%) and construction (9.2%). 

The PSA recorded the largest annual increases of workers in the following subsectors: 

1. Administrative and Support Service Activities (Up by 572,000)
2. Transportation and Storage (Up by 486,000)
3. Accommodation and Food Service Activities (Up by 357,000)
4. Financial and Insurance Activities (Up by 224,000)
5. Human Health and Social Work Activities (Up by 214,000)

Meanwhile, the following subsectors recorded the biggest annual decline: 

1. Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles (Down by 725,000)
2. Agriculture and Forestry (Down by 523,000)
3. Construction (Down by 484,000)
4. Public Administration and Defense; Compulsory Social Security (Down by 126,000)
5. Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (Down by 86,000)

 The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said that the latest employment rate showed that the country’s workforce still displayed resilience against global uncertainties. 

“Recent developments highlight the urgency to strengthen the resilience of our labor market. We must ensure that our policies and programs respond effectively to rapidly changing global conditions, especially for affected and displaced Filipino workers here and abroad,” DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.