THE Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said the share of Filipinos looking for additional work hours or better-paying jobs dipped in October, signaling a modest but steady improvement in employment quality.
Citing the latest Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), DEPDev said underemployment eased to 12.0 percent in October 2025 from 12.6 percent during the same period last year. The decline was driven largely by fewer visibly underemployed workers—down by 176,000—particularly in other service activities (-78,000) and agriculture and forestry (-68,000).
The PSA data also showed broader gains in job quality. The number of wage and salary workers in private establishments rose by 863,000, while middle- and high-skilled occupations increased by 432,000. Full-time employment expanded as well, with an additional 564,000 Filipinos working at least 40 hours a week.
“October’s labor market reflects continued progress in improving the quality of work available to Filipinos,” DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said, noting that the government is focusing not just on job creation but on ensuring that work is more stable and better compensated.
Balisacan said the government will scale up the use of innovation and digital technologies in employment services, from more integrated labor market information systems to enhanced upskilling and reskilling programs aimed at matching workers with emerging industry needs.
The October survey also recorded an increase in labor force participation, which rose to 63.6 percent—equivalent to one million more Filipinos entering the workforce. Total employment reached 48.6 million, up by 463,000 year-on-year.
Despite these gains, the unemployment rate inched up to 5.0 percent, compared to 3.9 percent in October 2024. Still, officials noted that the full-year unemployment rate of 4.7 percent remained within the targets of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) and lower than those of regional peers such as China and India.
Balisacan stressed that sustaining improvements in job quality will require coordinated action across government, private sector, and civil society. He underscored ongoing efforts under the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan 2025–2034 and the PDP 2023–2028, which aim to strengthen workforce competitiveness through expanded learning pathways, lifelong training, and development of in-demand skills including digital literacy, green technology, and higher-value services.
To further generate quality jobs, the government is also banking on long-term industrial and investment strategies. Under the Tatak Pinoy Strategy—the country’s first national industrial policy, institutionalized through the Tatak Pinoy Act—priority sectors have been identified to drive value-added production, exports, and employment.
“These initiatives will help ensure that Filipino workers are equipped to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy,” Balisacan said.