WITH the unemployment rate reaching a four-year high of 6 percent, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has vowed to intensify its employment facilitation efforts.
In a statement, DOLE said it has directed all its regional offices to coordinate closely with local government units (LGUs) and Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs) on how to best address the high jobless rate.
"We will continue strengthening employment facilitation and connecting jobseekers with available opportunities," said Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino.
"We need to closely monitor where employment opportunities are growing and where gaps remain so that our employment programs and services can respond to the needs of workers and jobseekers," he added.
Based on the July 2026 Labor Force Survey, the country’s unemployment rate was estimated at 6.0 percent, or some 3.14 million.
This is higher than the 5.3 percent unemployment rate recorded in July 2025, or around 2.59 million.
According to DOLE, the protracted conflict in the Middle East, as well as the recent bad weather, are being seen as causes of the high unemployment rate.
The department said it sees the natural and man-made calamities as causing a high number of Filipinos to become jobless.
"The labor market developments come amid external and weather-related pressures. Several tropical cyclones enhanced the Southwest monsoon, or habagat, resulting in reported agricultural production losses," said the DOLE.
"The continuing conflict in the Middle East also contributed to economic uncertainties that may affect economic activity and employment conditions," it added. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
