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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOLE hiring surge lifts employment above pre-pandemic high

DOLE hiring surge lifts employment above pre-pandemic high

Published Dec 29, 2025 10:12 am

At A Glance

  • Employment climbed above pre-pandemic levels in 2025, with the rate reaching 96.2 percent, based on the October Labor Force Survey.
  • A nationwide DOLE hiring drive, anchored on 2,176 job fairs, resulted in 74,564 hired-on-the-spot applicants despite worker displacements.
  • Youth employment programs, including SPES, GIP, and JobStart, expanded paid work, training, and school-to-work opportunities nationwide.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sustains nationwide employment facilitation and youth employability programs to support Filipino workers. (DOLE photo)
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sustains nationwide employment facilitation and youth employability programs to support Filipino workers. (DOLE photo)
A nationwide hiring pipeline for youth and job seekers lifted employment above pre-pandemic levels in 2025, with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sustaining gains despite widespread worker displacements.
The October 2025 Labor Force Survey showed the employment rate reaching 96.2 percent, higher than the 94.9 percent recorded in 2019, while unemployment declined to 3.8 percent.
Between January and November 2025, more than 616,000 workers were displaced across 19,091 establishments, yet nationwide job matching and employability programs continued to drive overall employment growth.
Key to these efforts were 2,176 job fairs conducted nationwide, which drew 529,158 job seekers and resulted in 74,564 hired-on-the-spot applicants.
Youth-focused initiatives further expanded access to paid work and skills training.
A total of 151,316 beneficiaries under the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) earned more than P686 million in wages.
Meanwhile, 76,491 participants in the Government Internship Program (GIP) received over P2.66 billion in stipends.
In addition, 4,873 JobStart Philippines beneficiaries were assisted, with more than P101 million released to support skills training and employer-linked work experience aimed at easing school-to-work transitions.
DOLE also credited the strengthened role of Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs), working closely with private sector partners, in coordinating job fairs, job search assistance, and youth employability programs nationwide.
These combined measures pushed total employment to 48.619 million in October 2025, an increase of 463,000 from the previous year.
More than 2.2 million job seekers were likewise referred to regional PESOs for placement across the country.
In November, the Philippines hosted the 2025 World Association of Public Employment Services–Asia Pacific Regional Conference, providing a platform for local and international delegates to exchange best practices on public employment partnerships.

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DOLE jobs and hiring youth employment job fairs
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