Philippines Jobless Rate Ticks Up to 4.8% in May

The unemployment rate in the Philippines rose slightly to 4.8% in May 2026 from April's four-month low of 4.7%. The figure was higher than the 3.9% recorded in the same month last year, attributed to job losses in the agriculture sector following the start of the El Niño phenomenon. The number of unemployed persons increased to 2.50 million from 2.41 million in the previous month. The employment rate edged down to 95.2% from 95.3%, despite total employment rising to 49.63 million from 48.89 million in April. The services sector remained the largest employer, accounting for 61.8% of total employment, followed by agriculture (19.9%) and industry (18.3%). Meanwhile, the underemployment rate fell to 12.2% from 15.2% in April, while average weekly working hours increased to 41.1 from 40.2. Wage and salary workers comprised 64.3% of the workforce, most of whom were employed in private establishments, representing 79.4% of the group.

The unemployment rate in the Philippines fell to 4.7% in April 2026, the lowest level in four months, from 5.0% in March. However, it remained higher than 4.1% in April 2025, as the economy continued to struggle to absorb a growing labor force despite strong hiring in the tourism and manufacturing sectors. The number of unemployed rose to 2.41 million from 2.06 million a year earlier, while the employment rate eased to 95.3% from 95.9%, even as total employment increased to 48.89 million from 48.67 million in April 2025. The labor force participation rate declined to 62.7% from 63.7%, equivalent to 51.30 million persons. Services accounted for 62.3% of total employment, followed by agriculture at 19.4% and industry at 18.3%. Annual job gains were strongest in accommodation and food service activities, manufacturing, and transport, while wholesale and agriculture recorded declines. Private establishments remained the main employer, accounting for 78.7% of wage and salary workers.

The unemployment rate in the Philippines edged down to 5% in March 2026, the lowest level in three months, from 5.1% February. The number of unemployed persons decreased to 2.58 million from 2.66 million in the previous month. Meanwhile, the employment rate inched up to 95% from 94.9%, with total employment reaching 49.07 million. The labor force participation rate fell to 63.3% from 63.8% in February but was still higher than the 62.9% recorded in March 2025. The services sector accounted for the largest share of employment at 63.0%, followed by agriculture (19.1%) and industry (17.9%). The sub-sectors with the highest employment were wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (20.2%), agriculture and forestry (17.1%), and construction (9.6%). Wage and salary workers comprised 63.7% of the workforce, most of whom were employed in private establishments. The average weekly hours worked were 40.7 hours. In March 2025, the jobless rate was lower at 3.9%.