NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
More Jobs, But Fewer In The Fields: A Closer Look At The Philippines' Employment Scene In February 2025
Photo credit: DOLE
Let’s talk jobs.
In February 2025, the Philippines posted a 96.2% employment rate—not bad, but slightly lower than February 2024’s 96.5%. Compared to just a month earlier though, it’s an improvement from January’s 95.7%. Translation? More people found work between January and February this year.
To be exact, 49.15 million Filipinos were employed in February 2025. That’s up from 48.95 million a year ago and 48.49 million just the month before. So yes, while the employment rate dipped year-on-year, the number of employed individuals actually rose.
Now, let’s break it down:
Unemployment and Underemployment—A Mixed Bag
The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.8% from 3.5% in February 2024. That’s about 1.94 million jobless Filipinos, higher than last year’s 1.80 million but better than January’s 2.16 million.
On the bright side, underemployment—the number of folks wanting more hours or better jobs—dropped to 10.1% from 12.4% in February last year. That’s the lowest it’s been in a while and means fewer workers are feeling underutilized.
Who’s Working Where?
The services sector is still king, employing a massive 61.6% of workers. Agriculture came next with 20.1%, followed by industry at 18.3%.
The sectors that added the most jobs year-on-year include:
• Accommodation and food services (+377,000)
• Fishing and aquaculture (+365,000)
• Public administration (+330,000)
• Construction (+258,000)
• Other services (+232,000)
But not every sector thrived. Agriculture and forestry lost nearly a million jobs (-949,000). That’s a huge dip, and the biggest drag on the employment numbers. Also on the decline were admin services, transportation, retail, and professional services.
From January to February, the biggest winners were:
• Retail and vehicle repair (+620,000)
• Construction (+434,000)
• Manufacturing (+225,000)
And the biggest job losses month-on-month?
• Agriculture and forestry again (-520,000)
• Admin support (-308,000)
• Transportation and storage (-176,000)
Wage Workers Lead the Pack
The majority of employed Filipinos (63.2%) are wage or salary workers—most of them in private companies. Self-employed folks made up 28.2%, and unpaid family workers, 6.6%.
Young Workers Face a Dip
Youth labor force participation dropped to 31.1% from 33.8% last year. And while 89.6% of working youth were employed, that’s still a slide from last year’s 91.4%.
Final Takeaway?
While more Filipinos are working in total numbers, challenges remain—especially in agriculture and among the youth. The drop in underemployment is encouraging, and if trends continue, we could be in for stronger numbers in the coming months.
Still, it’s clear that the employment landscape is shifting, and keeping an eye on where the jobs are coming (and going) will be key moving forward.
In February 2025, the Philippines posted a 96.2% employment rate—not bad, but slightly lower than February 2024’s 96.5%. Compared to just a month earlier though, it’s an improvement from January’s 95.7%. Translation? More people found work between January and February this year.
To be exact, 49.15 million Filipinos were employed in February 2025. That’s up from 48.95 million a year ago and 48.49 million just the month before. So yes, while the employment rate dipped year-on-year, the number of employed individuals actually rose.
Now, let’s break it down:
Unemployment and Underemployment—A Mixed Bag
The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.8% from 3.5% in February 2024. That’s about 1.94 million jobless Filipinos, higher than last year’s 1.80 million but better than January’s 2.16 million.
On the bright side, underemployment—the number of folks wanting more hours or better jobs—dropped to 10.1% from 12.4% in February last year. That’s the lowest it’s been in a while and means fewer workers are feeling underutilized.
Who’s Working Where?
The services sector is still king, employing a massive 61.6% of workers. Agriculture came next with 20.1%, followed by industry at 18.3%.
The sectors that added the most jobs year-on-year include:
• Accommodation and food services (+377,000)
• Fishing and aquaculture (+365,000)
• Public administration (+330,000)
• Construction (+258,000)
• Other services (+232,000)
But not every sector thrived. Agriculture and forestry lost nearly a million jobs (-949,000). That’s a huge dip, and the biggest drag on the employment numbers. Also on the decline were admin services, transportation, retail, and professional services.
From January to February, the biggest winners were:
• Retail and vehicle repair (+620,000)
• Construction (+434,000)
• Manufacturing (+225,000)
And the biggest job losses month-on-month?
• Agriculture and forestry again (-520,000)
• Admin support (-308,000)
• Transportation and storage (-176,000)
Wage Workers Lead the Pack
The majority of employed Filipinos (63.2%) are wage or salary workers—most of them in private companies. Self-employed folks made up 28.2%, and unpaid family workers, 6.6%.
Young Workers Face a Dip
Youth labor force participation dropped to 31.1% from 33.8% last year. And while 89.6% of working youth were employed, that’s still a slide from last year’s 91.4%.
Final Takeaway?
While more Filipinos are working in total numbers, challenges remain—especially in agriculture and among the youth. The drop in underemployment is encouraging, and if trends continue, we could be in for stronger numbers in the coming months.
Still, it’s clear that the employment landscape is shifting, and keeping an eye on where the jobs are coming (and going) will be key moving forward.
Apr 8, 2025
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