The country’s unemployment rate slightly went down in September to 3.8 percent from the 3.9 percent of August.
However, the latest unemployment rate is higher compared to the 3.7 percent of the same month in 2024.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said that a total of 1.96 million Filipinos were unemployed in September, lower than the 2.03 million recorded in August 2025 but slightly higher than the 1.89 million in the same month last year.
For September 2025, the employment rate improved to 96.2 percent from the previous month’s 96.1 percent, but lower than year-ago’s 96.3 percent.
However, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR), covering those aged 15 and up, slipped to 64.5 percent from 65.7 percent last September. Year-ago level is also higher at 65.1 percent.
STILL OPTIMISTIC
National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa, in a briefing Thursday for the September 2025 labor force participation figures, said he is optimistic of the improvement of labor participation in the last quarter of 2025 given the seasonal uptick in consumer demand during the holidays.
He added that around 50 million Filipinos were employed in December 2024, higher than the average in previous months.
“Yes, the holiday season, going into the fourth quarter, would have additional increase in terms of workers,” he said.
Mapa attributed this to lower number of students who were part of the labor force during their school break but has to resign from work to go back to school; those who said they need to prioritize family duties are normally those employed as household help; and those who are still waiting for call from their job applications.
He said employment as household help, under the domestic services, is among the main reasons for the drop in labor participation, after the number fell by around 573,000.
PIA PHOTO