More Filipinos were jobless in December 2025 as their number increased slightly to 2.26 million despite the onset of the holiday season, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday, February 6.
This was up from 2.25 million unemployed Filipinos in November. However, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.4 percent.
The size of the Philippines’ labor force increased to 51.69 million from 51.52 million.
Among those who are able to work, 64.4 percent were employed or actively looking for a job in December. This labor participation rate was an improvement from 64 percent in November.
Meanwhile, the underemployment rate dipped to 8 percent. This represented 3.93 million employed Filipinos looking for additional work or longer hours to boost their income.
This metric decreased from compared to the 10.4 percent or 5.11 million the previous month.
The latest print was the lowest since April 2025 and the first time at single-digit levels since May 2024. (Nyah Genelle C. De Leon © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
