The Philippines’ unemployment and underemployment rates declined in November 2025 from the previous month, according to data released Wednesday by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The PSA reported that the unemployment rate eased to 4.4 percent in November, down from 5 percent in October. This translated to about 2.25 million unemployed Filipinos during the month.
Underemployment also improved, with the rate falling to 10.4 percent from 12 percent in October. PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa said this meant around 5.11 million workers were seeking additional jobs or more working hours despite being employed.
However, year-on-year data showed a different picture. The PSA noted that unemployment in November 2025 was higher than the 3.2 percent recorded in November 2024, with the number of jobless workers rising from 1.66 million a year earlier.
Mapa attributed much of the annual increase in unemployment to the impact of strong typhoons Tino and Uwan, which struck the country in November last year. He said the storms disrupted economic activity, particularly in the accommodation and food service sector and in wholesale and retail trade.
“Our reading is that because of these typhoons, there was a slowdown in tourism-related activities, especially in accommodation services and retail trade,” Mapa said.
On an annual basis, the two sectors accounted for job losses totaling about 567,000.
Meanwhile, employment in construction posted month-on-month gains, with an additional 143,000 jobs recorded in November. Mapa noted that construction employment from July to November 2025 increased by around 203,000 compared with the same period in 2024, despite slower growth in the third quarter as the government tempered infrastructure spending amid issues linked to flood control projects.
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said the government remains focused on helping businesses adapt to weather-related disruptions that continue to affect employment.
“The government will actively support establishments in developing and implementing Business Continuity and Resiliency Plans,” DEPDev said.
