(Photo courtesy of PNA)
The number of employed Filipinos increased to 50.32 million in September 2026, while the underemployment rate slightly declined, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
During a briefing Friday, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said the latest Labor Force Survey showed that employment rose from 49.79 million in August and 49.60 million in September 2025.
The country’s employment rate stood at 94.6 percent in September.
Meanwhile, the labor force expanded to 53.19 million Filipinos aged 15 and above, compared with 52.56 million in August and 51.56 million in September last year.
The labor force participation rate also increased to 64.5 percent from 64 percent in the previous month, indicating a higher proportion of working-age Filipinos either employed or actively seeking work.
The services sector remained the country’s largest source of employment, followed by agriculture and industry.
Industries that recorded significant employment gains included accommodation and food services, transportation and storage, other service activities, agriculture and forestry, and public administration, defense and compulsory social security.
Underemployment eases, unemployment rises
The PSA reported that the underemployment rate declined slightly to 11 percent in September from 11.1 percent in August.
This translated to approximately 5.56 million employed Filipinos who wanted additional working hours, another job, or a new position offering longer hours of work.
Underemployment measures the proportion of employed individuals seeking additional work or longer working hours to improve their income.
Despite the increase in employment, the unemployment rate edged up to 5.4 percent from 5.3 percent in August.
The number of unemployed Filipinos reached an estimated 2.86 million in September.
The figures indicate that while more Filipinos secured employment and fewer employed workers sought additional hours, the number of people actively looking for jobs also increased.
The latest labor market results highlight continued employment growth alongside the challenge of providing sufficient job opportunities for the country’s expanding labor force.
