Jobless rate climbs to 5% in October

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

December 11, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The number of unemployed Filipinos rose to 2.54 million in October from the previous month’s 1.96 million, while job quality worsened, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

PSA head Claire Dennis Mapa reported yesterday that the unemployment rate climbed to five percent in October from 3.8 percent in September and 3.9 percent a year earlier, when 1.97 million Filipinos were jobless.

This translates to 50 out of every 1,000 Filipinos aged 15 and above having no work or business in October.

Mapa attributed the rise in the jobless rate to the increased number of Filipinos who entered the labor force during the month.

“Many participated, and some found jobs. But unfortunately, not everyone was absorbed into employment, resulting in a year-on-year increase of 576,000 (jobless Filipinos),” he noted, citing the preliminary results of PSA’s Labor Force Survey.

The labor force participation rate (LFPR) slightly grew to 63.6 percent in October from 63.3 percent in the same month last year but was lower than September’s 64.5 percent.

The estimated October LFPR represents a total of 51.16 million Filipinos who were either employed or looking for jobs.

The country’s employment rate, meanwhile, dropped to 95 percent in October compared to 96.2 percent in September and 96.1 percent a year ago.

In terms of magnitude, the latest number of employed Filipinos was estimated at 48.62 million, lower than the previous month’s 49.6 million but higher than the 48.16 million recorded in October 2024.

In October, the quality of jobs also deteriorated, with the underemployment rate going up to 12 percent from 11.1 percent a month ago.

This, however, was lower than the 12.6 percent logged in October 2024.

The October underemployment rate corresponds to an estimated 5.81 million underemployed people, or those seeking additional working hours or another job.

Of the total, 56 percent worked fewer than 40 hours a week, while 44 percent worked 40 hours or more.

Despite the latest employment data, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) maintained that October’s labor market reflects “continued progress” in improving the quality of work for Filipinos.

DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said accelerating the generation of quality jobs depends on a whole-of-society approach to implementing the country’s workforce programs and development plan.