Filipino Jobless Rate Rises to 4.9% Despite More People Working

MANILA, Philippines — Unemployment in the Philippines rose to 4.9% in June, with the number of jobless Filipinos reaching 2.59 million. This marks an increase from 4.8% in May and 3.7% in June 2025, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Thursday, August 6. The labor force expanded to 53.25 million in June from 52.13 million in May and 52.42 million a year earlier. The labor force participation rate also climbed to 65.1% from 63.8% in May, indicating a higher engagement in job seeking. Despite the rise in unemployment, the number of employed Filipinos increased to 50.66 million in June, up from 49.63 million in May and 50.47 million in June 2025. However, the growth in the labor force outpaced job creation, leading to the uptick in the jobless rate. By sector, services accounted for the largest share of employment at 62.7%. Agriculture followed with 20.0%, and industry with 17.3%. Wage and salary workers constituted the majority of the employed at 64.1%. Self-employed individuals without paid workers made up 26.9%, while unpaid family workers accounted for 7.4%. Employers in family-operated businesses comprised 1.6%. Underemployment eased slightly to 12.1% from 12.2% in May but remained higher than the 11.4% recorded a year ago. This indicates that 6.11 million employed Filipinos desired additional work or longer hours. Workers logged an average of 40.6 hours a week in June, according to the state data agency. Information Source: Philstar Business