Nearly 3M Filipinos jobless as unemployment hits highest since 2022

The Philippines’ unemployment rate climbed to 5.8 percent in January 2026, the highest level since June 2022, as the number of jobless Filipinos surged to 2.96 million, up from 2.26 million in December, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

During a press briefing on March 13, PSA Deputy National Statistician Divina Gracia L. del Prado said the country recorded an increase of about 695,000 unemployed Filipinos at the start of the year.

The report also showed a decline in both the labor force and the labor force participation rate, indicating that fewer Filipinos were working or actively seeking jobs.

The country’s labor force fell from 51.69 million in December to 50.89 million in January, while the labor force participation rate dropped to 62.3 percent, down from 64.4 percent.

Employment also weakened significantly. The number of employed Filipinos declined to 47.94 million in January, from 49.43 million the previous month, reflecting the loss of about 1.49 million jobs. As a result, the employment rate slipped to 94.2 percent from 95.6 percent.

Meanwhile, underemployment workers who already have jobs but are still seeking additional hours or income also worsened sharply.

The number of underemployed Filipinos rose to 6.35 million in January, up from 3.93 million in December, pushing the underemployment rate to 13.2 percent from 8 percent.