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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Economy devider Unemployment rate holds at 4.4% with 2.26 million jobless in Dec.

Unemployment rate holds at 4.4% with 2.26 million jobless in Dec.

Published Feb 6, 2026 09:09 am
Jobless rate held steady at the close of 2025, though the widening gap between the number of available workers and those actually holding positions suggests softening in the country’s labor market dynamics.
The unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in December, according to data released by National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa on Friday, Feb. 6.
However, the total number of unemployed Filipinos climbed to 2.26 million, a sharp increase from the 1.63 million recorded in December 2024. This rise in the absolute number of jobless individuals occurred even as the labor force participation rate stood at 64.4 percent, representing some 51.69 million people aged 15 and over.
The employment rate settled at 95.6 percent for the month, down from 96.9 percent in the same period a year earlier.
The services sector remains the primary engine of the economy, accounting for 62.4 percent of all jobs. Agriculture followed with a 20.7 percent share, while the industrial sector lagged at 16.9 percent. (Derco Rosal)
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