The services sector continued to be the largest employer in the Philippines, accounting for 62.8% of the workforce in September 2024, followed by agriculture at 19.9%, and industry at 17.4%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The biggest annual gains in employment were seen in administrative and support services (735,000); other service activities (559,000); wholesale and retail trade (486,000); and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (486,000). However, accommodation and food services (-242,000), agriculture and forestry (-210,000), and fishing and aquaculture (-136,000) saw the largest declines.
Month-to-month, the administrative and support services sector added the most jobs, with 642,000 new positions, followed by manufacturing (357,000) and agriculture and forestry (294,000). The largest job losses were in wholesale and retail trade (-597,000), construction (-284,000), and health and social work (-177,000).
Wage and salary workers made up the largest share of employed persons at 63.9%. Of these, 76.6% were employed in private establishments, while 14.9% worked in government or government-controlled corporations. Self-employed individuals without employees accounted for 27.4%, while unpaid family workers made up 6.6%.
Youth labor force participation increased to 33.9%, up from 33.1% in September 2023, while youth employment rose to 90.0%, compared to 86.9% a year earlier.