NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
More Filipinos Find Jobs In March, But Recovery Still Uneven
Photo credit: DOLE-NCR
There’s a slight improvement in the country’s job situation—but the bigger picture shows the road to full recovery isn’t over yet.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that the unemployment rate dipped to 5% in March 2026. That translates to around 2.58 million Filipinos still without jobs or livelihood.
It’s a modest improvement from February’s 5.1%, but still higher compared to the much lower 3.9% recorded in March 2025—suggesting that while things are getting better month-on-month, the country hasn’t fully regained last year’s momentum.
On the brighter side, employment rose to 95%, with about 49.07 million Filipinos now working or running businesses. Gains were seen in key sectors such as agriculture and forestry, construction, and education—areas that helped absorb more workers during the month.
However, not everything is moving in the same direction. Underemployment—those who have jobs but are still looking for more hours or additional work—remains at 12.3%. This points to a continuing challenge: while more Filipinos are employed, many are still not earning enough or working as much as they want.
The latest figures paint a mixed picture of the labor market: steady improvement, but with lingering gaps that highlight the need for more stable and quality job opportunities in the months ahead.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that the unemployment rate dipped to 5% in March 2026. That translates to around 2.58 million Filipinos still without jobs or livelihood.
It’s a modest improvement from February’s 5.1%, but still higher compared to the much lower 3.9% recorded in March 2025—suggesting that while things are getting better month-on-month, the country hasn’t fully regained last year’s momentum.
On the brighter side, employment rose to 95%, with about 49.07 million Filipinos now working or running businesses. Gains were seen in key sectors such as agriculture and forestry, construction, and education—areas that helped absorb more workers during the month.
However, not everything is moving in the same direction. Underemployment—those who have jobs but are still looking for more hours or additional work—remains at 12.3%. This points to a continuing challenge: while more Filipinos are employed, many are still not earning enough or working as much as they want.
The latest figures paint a mixed picture of the labor market: steady improvement, but with lingering gaps that highlight the need for more stable and quality job opportunities in the months ahead.
May 6, 2026
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