The country's employment rate has risen to 95.9 percent, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. revealed during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA).

During his Address at the Batasang Pambansa, Marcos said the Philippines also saw a significant increase in high-quality jobs.

He added that underemployment has decreased from 11.7 percent in May 2023 to 9.9 percent currently, which Marcos noted is the country’s lowest since 2005.

Recognizing the high food prices being experienced by Filipinos, Marcos said the rise in the employment rate in the country “is still good news.”

“Apart from job creation, we also strengthened the capacity of our citizens, especially in times of crisis,” the chief executive said in Filipino.

Earlier, the National Wage Coalition renewed its call to certify as urgent the passage of pending wage bills in Congress.