The number of jobless Filipinos increased in April 2025, with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reporting an unemployment rate of 4.1%, equivalent to 2.06 million individuals without work. This marks the highest unemployment level in the past two months and is a rise from 1.93 million recorded in March.

The latest figures are based on a nationwide labor force survey involving 44,536 households. Alongside the rise in unemployment, the quality of existing jobs also declined.

Underemployment worsened, with 7.09 million employed Filipinos seeking additional work or extended hours to supplement their income. This translates to an underemployment rate of 14.6%, up from 13.4% or 6.44 million in March.

Sectors most affected by job losses included agriculture and forestry, which shed 324,000 jobs. Service activities such as computer repair and laundry services lost around 127,000 jobs, while accommodation and food service activities recorded a decline of 131,000 jobs.

In the face of growing labor challenges, the Marcos administration is assessing the potential economic impact of the proposed ₱200 daily wage hike recently approved by the House of Representatives. Malacañang confirmed that the President is consulting with regional wage boards and economic experts to evaluate how the proposal might affect businesses and workers alike.

The review process will consider feedback from various stakeholders and aims to determine whether the proposed increase would be viable and beneficial. The measure still requires further deliberation in the Senate before it can be enacted into law.

The administration emphasized that the goal is to strike a balance between providing fair compensation to workers and ensuring the overall health of the economy.