The unemployment rate in the Philippines increased to 3.8% in September compared to the previous year, indicating a delicate recovery in the labor market as natural calamities hindered recruitment ahead of the festive season, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed on Thursday.
Approximately 1.96 million Filipinos were unemployed during the month, rising from 1.89 million the previous year, when the unemployment rate was recorded at 3.7%, National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa stated in a news conference, mentioning the effects of typhoons and earthquakes on job availability.
The most recent figure improved from August’s 4%, when 2.03 million individuals were jobless. Employment totaled 49.6 million, slightly below the 49.87 million of September 2024.
Job quality showed improvement year on year as the underemployment rate — the proportion of workers seeking additional hours or jobs — decreased to 11.1% from 11.9%, although it worsened from 10.7% in August due to a slowdown in construction activities.
The participation rate in the labor force dropped to 64.5% from 65.7% a year prior, resulting in 208,000 fewer individuals in the workforce, as reported by the statistics agency. Around 572,000 workers also exited the labor force month on month. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana