Jobless rate eases to 3.8% in Sept

Unemployment declined in September from the previous month, but the quality of jobs deteriorated, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

- By LOUELLA DESIDERIO

In a press conference yesterday, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said the country’s unemployment rate dipped to 3.8 percent in September from the previous month’s 3.9 percent, but inched up from 3.7 percent in the same month last year.

This translated to 1.96 million jobless Filipinos in September, down from 2.03 million in August, but up from 1.89 million in September 2024.

These figures were based on the results of the PSA’s Labor Force Survey (LFS).

PSA data showed the country’s employment rate rose slightly to 96.2 percent in September from 96.1 percent in the previous month, but down from 96.3 percent in September last year.

An estimated 49.60 million Filipinos were employed in September, lower than the previous month’s 50.10 million and 49.87 million in September 2024.

But job quality worsened as the underemployment rate rose to 11.1 percent in September from the previous month’s 10.7 percent.

However, the September underemployment rate declined from 11.9 percent in the same month last year.