Philippine Labor Force Participation Declines Slightly in September 2025
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday, November 6, 2025, that the country’s labor force decreased slightly in September 2025.
Labor Force Numbers
A total of 51.56 million Filipinos aged 15 and above were part of the labor force in September 2025. This figure is down from 51.77 million in the same month last year and 52.13 million recorded in August 2025. The labor force represented 64.5% of the total population.
Employment and Unemployment Statistics
- Of the 51.56 million in the labor force, 1.96 million (3.8%) were unemployed.
- The remaining 49.60 million (96.2%) were employed.
- The unemployment rate in September was slightly lower than August 2025’s 3.9% but marginally higher than September 2024’s 3.7%.
- The employment rate stood at 96.2%, a slight increase from August’s 96.1%, but down from 96.3% in September 2024.
Work Preferences and Sector Distribution
Among those employed, 11.1% wanted more working hours either in their current jobs, additional jobs, or new jobs with longer hours.
Employment by sector was distributed as follows:
- Services sector: 61.3%
- Agriculture: 20.9%
- Industry: 17.8%
Employment Growth by Sub-sectors
The top five sub-sectors with the highest annual employment growth in September 2025 included accommodation and food service activities.
“In September 2025, the services sector accounted for the largest share of total employment at 61.3 percent, followed by agriculture at 20.9 percent and industry at 17.8 percent.”
Summary: The Philippine labor force saw a slight decrease in September 2025, with steady employment rates and a strong share of jobs in the services sector, while some workers sought additional work hours.