THE number of employed Filipinos dropped by over one million in March 2025, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This significant decrease, bringing the total employed population down to 48.02 million from 49.15 million in February, is attributed to declines in the agriculture sector and a government hiring freeze related to the recent elections.
National Statistician and PSA chief Claire Dennis Mapa attributed the 1.13 million decrease in employed individuals aged 15 and above to two primary factors: the agriculture and forestry sector, and the public administration and defense, compulsory social security sectors. The agriculture and forestry sector saw a loss of 609,000 workers, while the public administration sector experienced a decrease of 394,000.
Mapa explained that the decline in the public administration sector was likely due to the election ban on hiring and promotions, which was in effect from March 28th to May 11th, 2025. “For public administration and defense, compulsory social security… these are employees in government [so] we feel this was affected by the election ban,” she stated.
Other sectors experiencing significant annual decreases in employment include:
- Manufacturing: 281,000
- Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles: 175,000
- Professional, scientific and technical activities: 100,000
A notable month-on-month drop of 473,000 employed individuals was also observed in the construction sector, possibly due to a slowdown in building projects.
Despite the significant rise in unemployment, the number of unemployed persons slightly decreased to 1.93 million in March from 1.94 million in February. However, compared to March 2024, the unemployment figure increased by 69,000, rising from two million. The PSA will continue to monitor the employment situation and its impact on the Philippine economy.Share
