FX.co ★ Philippines Jobless Rate Edges Higher in September

In September 2025, the unemployment rate in the Philippines rose slightly to 3.8%, compared to 3.7% in the corresponding month of the previous year. The number of unemployed individuals increased to 1.96 million, up from 1.89 million in September 2024. Concurrently, the total number of employed persons fell to 49.60 million from 49.87 million. The services sector continued to lead in employment share, encompassing 61.3% of the employed populace, followed by agriculture with 20.9% and industry at 17.8%. Additionally, the labor force participation rate decreased to 64.5% from 65.7% the previous year, indicating a lower percentage of Filipinos aged 15 and over were engaged in the labor market. On average, employed individuals worked 40.5 hours per week, a slight increase from the 40.3 hours reported in September 2024.