The number of jobless Filipinos decreased in November, but employed individuals also shrank in number by 100,000.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) the country’s employment rate increased to 96.8 percent in November last year from 96.4 percent in November 2023. It has also improved from 96.1 percent in October. 

Despite this rise, the number of employed individuals in November last year decreased to 49.54 million from 49.64 million in November 2023.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), in a Jan. 8 statement, pointed out the decline in the underemployment rate seen in November, which decreased by nearly one percent to 10.8 percent from 11.7 in November 2023.

This is equivalent to 5.35 million of the 49.54 million employed individuals expressing the desire to have additional work hours or a new job with longer hours. In October 2024, 6.08 million Filipino workers were underemployed. 

According to NEDA, this is a reflection of “better job quality” as fewer workers are looking for additional work hours or jobs in addition to their existing jobs.

Similarly, jobless Filipinos decreased in November last year, with the unemployment rate falling from 3.6 percent in November 2023 to 3.2 percent. In terms of number, the 1.83 million unemployed Filipinos dwindled to 1.66 million in November 2024.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said that the country’s labor market remains strong given the “consistently high employment” and reduced underemployment.

“The next step is to expand business and employment opportunities to enable more Filipinos to actively and productively contribute to the economy. Moreover, we will encourage business upgrading and skills training programs to ensure that these jobs offer competitive wages as our workers raise their productivity by developing their human capital,” Balisacan added.

As of November last year, the labor force participation rate (LFPR), or the percentage of people who are working or actively looking for work, was 64.6 percent, lower than the 65.9 percent for November 2023. 

Women’s participation in the workforce dropped to 53.9 percent from 55.4 percent, as 445,000 prime-working-age women shifted focus to household responsibilities.

Likewise, young individuals (402,000) have returned to schools, hence a slash from the workforce. For youth, it declined to 32.4 percent from 34.4 percent in the same month in 2023.

Balisacan said the government “needs to facilitate the adoption of alternative work arrangements to account for worker’ evolving preferences while considering organizations' emerging demands.” 

However, he also said that the government “focuses on accelerating government programs that will increase employability, especially among the youth.”