THE number of unemployed Filipinos declined further to 2.41 million in April, down from 2.58 million recorded in March, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Tuesday.
The improvement came as a surprise to many analysts who had projected a softer labor market performance due to the ongoing energy crisis and its potential impact on business operations and hiring. This brings the country’s unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent — the first time this year that the figure has dipped below the 5‑percent threshold.
Despite the fewer people out of work, the quality of employment remained a concern as underemployment rose sharply during the same period.
The PSA reported that 7.41 million employed Filipinos are now looking for extra work or longer hours to boost their income, translating to an underemployment rate of 15.2 percent. This marks a significant jump from the 6.03 million people or 12.3 percent recorded just a month earlier, and represents the highest level recorded since July 2023, when underemployment stood at 15.9 percent.
In terms of total employment, the count slightly eased to 48.89 million in April from 49.07 million in March. However, because the overall labor force size shrank, the employment rate actually improved from 95.0 percent to 95.3 percent. The labor force participation rate also saw a decline, falling to 62.7 percent or around 51.3 million individuals, compared to 63.3 percent or 51.65 million people in the previous month, indicating that some workers may have temporarily stopped searching for jobs.
The latest labor statistics present a mixed picture of the country’s employment situation: while fewer Filipinos are jobless, a growing number remain unsatisfied with their current work or earnings. Officials noted that this highlights the need not only to create more jobs, but to generate higher‑quality, better‑paying opportunities to address the rising underemployment and ensure that economic growth translates into improved livelihoods for more workers.
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