10.09.202501:19:58UTC+00Philippines Jobless Rate Hits 3-Year High

The unemployment rate in the Philippines increased to 5.3% in July 2025, up from 4.7% in July 2024, reaching its highest level since August 2022. The count of unemployed individuals rose to 2.59 million from 2.38 million in the previous year, while the number of employed persons decreased to 46.05 million compared to 47.68 million a year ago. The services sector remained the largest employer, accounting for 62.8% of the total employed population, followed by the industry sector at 18.7% and agriculture at 18.5%. Furthermore, the labor force participation rate fell to 60.7% from 63.5% in the previous year, indicating a decreased engagement of Filipinos aged 15 and older in the labor market. On average, employed individuals worked 42.0 hours weekly, slightly more than the 41.1 hours recorded in July 2024, reflecting a modest increase in the workload for those employed.