THE number of jobless Filipinos rose in May but those looking for more work were fewer, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday.
Unemployment edged up to 4.8 percent from 4.7 percent in April and was also higher than the 3.9 percent recorded a year earlier. The PSA said this translated to 2.50 million jobless Filipinos in May, higher than the 2.41 million recorded in April and the 2.03 million posted in May 2025.
Underemployment — which counts as those looking for more work or an extra job — dropped to 12.2 percent from 15.2 percent in April and 13.1 percent a year earlier. This was equivalent to 6.04 million Filipinos, down from April’s 7.03 million and the year-ago 6.6 million.
The labor force participation rate — the percentage of the working-age population with jobs or actively looking for work — improved to 63.8 percent from 62.7 percent in April but fell from May 2025’s 65.8 percent.
“The Philippines’ labor market remained soft in May but performed better than expected in the face of persisting uncertainties and cost pressures from the Middle East war,” Chinabank Research said in a note.
“Improving business sentiment as global tensions ease could support stronger economic activity and hiring in the coming months,” it added.
Chinabank said downside risks remained, however, noting the “potential impact of El Niño on the agricultural sector and the effects of minimum wage hikes on labor-intensive industries, such as food services and wholesale and retail trade.”
Administrative and support services added the most jobs in May at 329,000, followed by mining and quarrying (184,000), human health and social work (173,000), fishing and aquaculture (170,000), and construction (168,000).
Job losses were recorded in agriculture and forestry (905,000), other service activities (442,000), public administration and defense (213,000), wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (-141,000).
Services continued to account for the bulk of jobs with a 61.8-percent share of total employment. Agriculture (19.9 percent) and industry (18.3 percent) followed.
Among the subsectors, wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles had the biggest share of employment at 19.6 percent. This was followed by agriculture and forestry (17.2 percent), and construction (10.0 percent).
Wage and salary workers made up the majority of the workforce at 64.3 percent. Self-employed workers accounted for 27.2 percent, followed by unpaid family workers at 6.8 percent and employers in own family-run farms or businesses at 1.8 percent.
NIÑA MYKA PAULINE ARCEO
