Unemployment in the Philippines surged in July, leaving 2.59 million Filipinos without work compared to 1.95 million just a month earlier, government data showed on Wednesday.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the unemployment rate climbed to 5.3 percent, a steep rise from June’s 3.7 percent. This marks the highest level since June 2022, when joblessness reached 6.03 percent while the country was still reeling from the pandemic’s economic impact.
Job quality also took a hit. Around 6.8 million employed Filipinos said they were seeking additional hours or side jobs to make ends meet—an increase from 5.76 million in June. This pushed the underemployment rate up to 14.8 percent, compared with 11.4 percent the previous month.
