The number of unemployed Filipinos declined in May this year while employment rate rose to more than 90 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

In a briefing Tuesday, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said results of the latest Labor Force Survey showed that the country’s labor force participation rate (LFPR) in May 2025 was estimated at 65.8 percent, higher than the estimated LFPR in May 2024 at 64.8 percent and in April 2025 at 63.7 percent.

Persons in the labor force are those aged 15 years and over who are either employed or unemployed.

The reported LFPR in May 2025 translates to a total of 52.32 million Filipinos aged 15 years and over who were in the labor force, the highest recorded number since April 2005.

Mapa said the number of unemployed individuals fell to 2.03 million in May from 2.11 million in May last year, and 2.06 million in April this year.

The unemployment rate was recorded at 3.9 percent, down from its rate in May 2024 and in the previous month, which were both at 4.1 percent.

Compared to other Asian countries, the Philippines’ unemployment rate is lower than that of China (5 percent) and India (5.6 percent).

The employment went up to 96.1 percent from its rate in May 2024 and in April 2025, which were both at 95.9 percent.

In terms of magnitude, the number of employed persons in May 2025 rose to 50.29 million from 48.87 million in May 2024 and 48.67 million in the previous month.

Industries with the largest increase in employment were wholesale and retail trade (+489,000), agriculture and forestry (+469,000), administrative and support service activities (+371,000), accommodation and food service activities (+365,000), and other service activities (+175,000).

The underemployment rate, meanwhile, settled at 13.1 percent, translating to 6.60 million employed individuals who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work.

PNA PHOTO