THE number of unemployed Filipinos went up in May 2026, driven by a growing number of individuals actively looking for work, according to the latest Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The data reflects changes in the country’s job market as more people aged 15 years and older entered the workforce in search of livelihood and income opportunities. The increase signals shifting dynamics in employment participation, even as more workers also found jobs during the same period.
In a briefing held Wednesday, PSA head and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa reported that there were 2.50 million Filipinos without work or a source of livelihood in May.
This figure marks a rise from the 2.41 million recorded in April 2026 and is significantly higher compared to the 2.03 million unemployed individuals logged in May 2025. As a proportion of the total labor force of 52.13 million people, this translated to an unemployment rate of 4.8% — slightly higher than April’s 4.7% and well above the 3.9% posted during the same month a year earlier. In simple terms, the rate means 48 out of every 1,000 persons in the workforce were without jobs during the period.
Despite the rise in joblessness, the survey also showed growth in the total number of employed individuals. Employment climbed to 49.63 million in May, up from 48.89 million the previous month, indicating that more positions were filled as businesses continued to operate and expand.
However, when compared to the same period last year, the number of employed persons was lower than the 50.29 million recorded in May 2025. This difference highlights that while hiring activity improved month‑on‑month, it has not yet fully returned to the levels seen twelve months prior.
In percentage terms, the employment rate stood at 95.2% in May 2026, a slight dip from the 95.3% recorded in April and lower than the 96.1% rate observed in May 2025. The PSA noted that the combination of a rising labor force participation rate and a slower‑than‑expected recovery in available jobs contributed to the uptick in unemployment. These figures provide policymakers and economic planners with important data to assess labor market conditions and design programs aimed at creating more quality employment opportunities across the country.
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