Jobless rate rises to 2-year high in 2025

The country's unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in December amid a sharp contraction in construction jobs, bringing the full-year average to a two-year high of 4.2%, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

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Preliminary data from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) showed the jobless rate in December was higher than the 3.1% posted in December 2024. However, this was unchanged at 4.4% from November.

The number of unemployed Filipinos increased to 2.26 million in December, higher than the 1.63 million logged in December 2024 and the previous month's count of 2.25 million.

For 2025, the jobless rate averaged 4.2%, equivalent to 2.14 million jobless Filipinos. This was higher than the 3.8% jobless rate in 2024, which translated to 1.94 million jobless Filipinos.

The 2025 unemployment rate was the fastest in two years or since the 4.4% posted last 2023.

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa attributed the drop in unemployment in December to declines in public construction.

The construction sector recorded the largest job losses in December, shedding 550,000 workers year on year, while administrative and support services posted the biggest gain with 385,000 additional workers, PSA data showed.