Metro Manila, Philippines — More people were out of work in July, according to latest data.
The unemployment rate of 6 percent was higher than the 5.3 percent year-on-year and 4.7 percent in April 2026, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The number of unemployed Filipinos increased to 3.14 million from 2.59 million a year earlier and 2.41 million in April.
On the other hand, the employment rate declined to 94 percent in July from 94.7 percent in the same month last year and 95.3 percent in April.
Meanwhile, the number of people with work went up to 49.21 million in July from 46.05 million year-on-year.
The labor force participation rate also increased to 63.6 percent, with 52.36 million people aged 15 and over either employed or unemployed.
Metro Manila posted the highest unemployment rate at 8.2 percent, followed by the Bicol Region at 8 percent and the Ilocos Region at 5 percent.
Meanwhile, the underemployment rate fell to 12.9 percent in July from 14.8 percent in July 2025 and 15.2 percent in April.
Underemployment, as used by the Department of Labor and Employment and the PSA, refers to employed persons who want more hours of work in their current job, an additional job, or a new job with longer working hours.
