THE country’s unemployment rate has slightly gone up to 4.1 percent in April 2025, from 3.9 percent in March.
In a report, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said as of April 2025, a total of 50.74 million Filipinos aged 15 and over were part of the labor force.
Of the 50.74 million, 48.67 million or 95.9 percent were employed. This was slightly lower than the April 2024 employment rate of 96 percent or 48.35 million.
In January 2025, the employment rate was estimated at 95.7 percent or 48.49 million employed individuals.
The jobless individuals stood at 2.06 million or 4.1 percent of the labor force participation rate (LFPR).
The unemployment rate in April 2024 was at 4.0 percent or 2.04 million while 4.3 percent in January 2025 or 2.16 million Filipinos.
On average, employed persons worked 39.9 hours per week, lower than the average hours worked in a week in April 2024 at 40.5 hours, and in January 2025 at 40.4 hours.
Because of this, 14.6 percent, or 7.09 million, of the 48.67 million employed individuals expressed a desire in April 2025 to work additional hours in their current job, take on an additional job, or find a new job with longer working hours.
The top five sub-sectors in terms of annual increase in the number of employed persons in April 2025 were the administrative and support service activities; public administration and defense; compulsory social security; agriculture and forestry; construction; and education.
In a statement, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said that despite the slight uptick in unemployment, the Philippine labor market continues to demonstrate resilience amid global headwinds as it remains within its target unemployment range of 4.4 to 4.7 percent.
“Also, we are optimistic about further improving our labor force in the months and years ahead, especially with the rollout of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Plan and the influx of new investments,” DEPDev Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Rosemarie G. Edillon said.
Edillon noted several government initiatives aimed at improving the employability of jobseekers and workers, such as the enhancement of the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) track in Senior High School, the Government Internship Program for new graduates, and various skills training programs delivered through different modalities.
“Leveraging the role of the private sector in training and skills development allows the workforce to benefit from industry expertise. Under the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework, the government, in partnership with the private sector, will co-develop programs that focus on digital, technical, and soft skills. This will allow learners to develop the foundational skills required for emerging industries,” Edillon added.
Edillon raised the need for the prioritization of development and promotion of a national policy for lifelong learning to ensure that the workers remain agile.
She reiterated the government’s commitment to continue promoting measures that improve the productivity of domestic industries, particularly those that generate higher-quality jobs to enhance the resilience of the labor market amid external uncertainties.
“Attracting more investments to generate higher-quality and better-paying jobs, particularly in manufacturing and higher-value-added services, and expanding into new markets is essential to broadening our economy and opening up more job opportunities for Filipino workers,” she said. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)