Unemployment rate drops to 4.4% in Nov

The number of jobless Filipinos dropped in November, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday, as the labor market improved.

The country’s unemployment rate was recorded at 4.4 percent, from October’s three-month high of 5.5 percent but higher than November last year’s 3.2 percent.

This translates to 2.25 million unemployed Filipinos, lower than the 2.54 million recorded in October 2025 but higher than 1.66 million in the same month last year.

Meanwhile, underemployment — which counts as those looking for more work or an extra job — declined to 10.4 percent, down from 12.0 percent and 10.8 percent a month and year earlier, respectively.

The number of underemployed individuals stood at 5.11 million. These are workers who express a desire for additional hours in their current job, an additional job, or a new job with longer hours.

Employment rate, meanwhile, recorded an uptick of 95.6 percent, up from 95.0 percent recorded a month earlier but lower than the 96.8 percent last year. The number of individuals with jobs reached 49.26 million.

The country’s Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in November was registered at 64.0, higher than the 63.6 percent a month earlier but lower than the 64.6 percent recorded a year earlier.

Source: Manila Times