Jobless Filipinos drop to 3.9% in May

Many job applicants gained employment in the Philippines in May, resulting in a decline in the number of jobless Filipinos during the month to 2.03 million from 2.11 million unemployed individuals in the same month last year.

- By DERCO ROSAL

Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the 71,000 drop in unemployment annually brought the unemployment rate back to 3.9 percent, as seen in March. It was lower than last year's 4.1 percent.

Employment during the month climbed to 96.1 percent rate from both 95.9 percent in May last year and April this year. By number, 50.29 million Filipinos secured employment in May from 48.87 million a year ago, and 48.67 million the previous month.

According to the PSA, the biggest job gains in May were recorded in wholesale and retail trade (489,000), agriculture and forestry (469,000), administrative and support services (371,000), accommodation and food services (365,000), and other service activities (175,000).

Wage and salary workers comprised the majority of employed Filipinos in May 2025, at 62.8 percent, followed by self-employed individuals without paid employees (27.9 percent), unpaid family workers (7.5 percent), and employers running their family businesses or farms (1.8 percent).