NATION

September employment number higher than same month last year–DOLE

Jeffrey G. Damicog · Nov 6, 2026, 11:45 AM

Jobseekers line up for an initial interview during a job fair organized by the Manila LGU at Park 'N Ride, Lawton, Manila, on Tuesday, 9 July 2024. The unemployment rate in the Philippines dropped to 4.1% in May 2024, down from 4.3% the previous year, with 2.11 million Filipinos jobless. Despite this improvement, there was an increase of 65,000 unemployed individuals from April to May 2024. The number of employed persons rose by 605,000 year-over-year to 48.87 million, boosting the employment rate to 95.9%. Underemployment also saw a significant decline, with the rate falling from 11.7% to 9.9%, indicating better employment conditions for workers. — Photo by Yummie Dingding for DAILY TRIBUNE

The number of employed Filipinos in September increased compared to the same period last year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Friday, 6 November.

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), DOLE reported that the country recorded around 50.32 million employed individuals in September, up from approximately 49.6 million in September 2025.

However, the employment rate dropped to 94.6% in September from 96.2% during the same period last year.

The PSA data also showed that the underemployment rate stood at 11% in September, with around 5.56 million underemployed individuals.

This was slightly lower than the 11.1% underemployment rate recorded in September 2025, although the number of underemployed individuals increased from approximately 5.52 million.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose to 5.4% in September, equivalent to around 2.86 million unemployed Filipinos, compared to 3.8% in September 2025.

DOLE said it continues to expand employment opportunities through various programs, including JobStart Philippines and job fairs.

The department also provides skills training to help jobseekers improve their qualifications and secure employment.