The number of employed Filipinos went up in August this year due to the government’s efforts to facilitate job creation.
In a briefing Wednesday, October 8, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said results of the latest Labor Force Survey showed that around 50.10 million Filipinos were employed in August, up from the 46.05 million in the previous month.
The employment rate was at 96.1 percent. Mapa said the services sector accounted for the largest share of total employment at 61.5 percent, followed by agriculture with 20.4 percent and industry at 18.1 percent.
The Labor Force Participation Rate, meanwhile, rose to 65.1 percent from 60.7 percent in July or about 52.13 million Filipinos aged 15 years and above who were either employed or unemployed.
The national unemployment rate improved to 3.9 percent in August 2025 from 5.3 percent in July. In terms of magnitude, the number of unemployed individuals was at 2.03 million.
The number of underemployed persons, or employed persons who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have an additional or new job with longer hours of work was estimated at 5.38 million, translating to an underemployment rate of 10.7 percent, lower than July 2025’s 14.8 percent.
In a separate statement, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan welcomed the overall developments in the labor market, noting that these gains are the result of the government’s commitment to expanding decent and productive employment opportunities.
“These positive labor market indicators reflect our collective effort to sustain economic growth while ensuring that more Filipinos benefit from it. We are working to generate not just jobs, but quality jobs that will raise incomes, reduce underemployment, and improve the overall well-being of our people,” Balisacan said.
Balisacan said DEPDev aims to build on these positive labor market developments by advancing policies and strategies under the Trabaho Para sa Bayan (TPB) Plan 2025-2034, which seeks to steer the Philippine workforce toward higher-value segments and generate better-quality employment opportunities.
He emphasized the importance of protecting vulnerable workers amid global headwinds, domestic challenges, and the growing impacts of climate change by strengthening initiatives that promote labor market resilience.
To sustain gains from the continued decline in unemployment and underemployment, Balisacan cited the need to support programs such as the Government Internship Program, which equips the youth with essential skills for the workforce and fosters a culture of lifelong learning. (PNA)
