The number of unemployed Filipinos increased to 2.16 million at the start of 2025, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Labor Force Survey. This is higher than the 1.63 million unemployed individuals recorded in December 2024.
Deputy National Statistician and PSA Assistant Secretary Divina Gracia del Prado said that these unemployed individuals are aged 15 and above. During this period, around 50.65 million Filipinos were actively looking for jobs or income opportunities. The unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, up from 3.1% the previous month.
An unemployment rate of 4.3% means that 43 out of every 1,000 individuals were jobless or had no source of income in January 2025.
The number of employed individuals also dropped to 48.49 million from 50.19 million in December 2024.
Del Prado explained that employment rates usually rise in December due to the holiday season but tend to drop in January as demand for workers decreases.
