Amid the impact of widespread corruption which saw billion of pesos of public funds pocketed by unscrupulous government officials, the number of unemployed Filipinos surged in October, reaching 2.54 million individuals.
The latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) erased whatever positive trend the country’s employment rate registered prior to the explosive exposure of extensive irregularities in government infrastructure initiatives, particularly in flood control projects.
The alarming trend in unemployment marks a significant increase compared to the 1.96 million jobless Filipinos recorded in September 2025, raising concerns about the stability of the country’s labor market.
The unemployment rate climbed to 5 percent in October, a significant jump from the 3.8 percent recorded in the previous month.
However, despite the worrisome data, the employment rate experienced a slight dip, standing at 95 percent in October as compared to the previous 96.2 percent in September.
This translates to 48.62 million Filipinos being employed, a decrease of almost one million from the 49.60 million employed in the previous month.
Also in a contrasting trend, the underemployment rate saw a decrease, falling to 11.1 percent in October from 12.0 percent in September, indicating that fewer Filipinos are expressing the need for additional work hours or secondary employment.
The PSA noted that the services sector continues to be the primary source of employment, accounting for 60.6 percent of employed persons. The agriculture sector follows with 21.3 percent, while the industry sector accounts for 17.9 percent.
Meanwhile, the subsectors with the highest employment rates were listed as wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles at 20.0 percent, agriculture and forestry at 19.0 percent and construction at 9.7 percent.
