The Philippines unemployment rate climbed to 4.4 percent in November 2025 from 3.2 percent a year earlier as severe weather disrupted key service sectors, but the figure showed improvement from the previous month, government data showed Wednesday.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported the number of unemployed individuals reached 2.25 million in November, up from 1.66 million in the same month in 2024.
However, the rate was a decrease from 5.0 percent, or 2.54 million people, recorded in October 2025. Both unemployment and underemployment figures remained within the government target ranges for the year.
Job losses were concentrated in subsectors where typhoons hampered economic activity, affecting about 873,000 workers. The impact was felt most heavily in accommodation and food service activities, wholesale and retail trade, fishing and aquaculture and other service categories.
The underemployment rate, which measures those looking for more work hours, eased to 10.4 percent from 10.8 percent a year ago. Of the 5.11 million underemployed people, 68.3 percent worked less than 40 hours a week while 31.7 percent worked 40 hours or more.
The labor force participation rate fell to 64.0 percent from 64.6 percent. Officials attributed the decline to increased family responsibilities and a drop in youth participation due to schooling.
Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the government is prioritizing investments in skills development and social protection to help workers transition across sectors and withstand economic shocks.
He said strengthening workforce competitiveness is essential to attracting investments that generate quality jobs.
To mitigate future climate-related disruptions, the government plans to support businesses in implementing continuity and resiliency plans.
The DEPDev is pushing for the full implementation of the Philippine Innovation Act to foster entrepreneurship and increase labor demand.
The administration is also prioritizing the Tatak Pinoy strategy, a 10-year industrial roadmap. This focuses on high-potential sectors such as information technology and business process management and food processing to boost exports and employment.
The 2026 General Appropriations Act will support these initiatives through increased funding for education and reskilling programs, said Balisacan.
He said the national budget serves as a roadmap for safeguarding recovery and building a more resilient economy by investing in health, agriculture and job creation.
