The unemployment rate in the Philippines rose in March, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The jobless rate reached 3.9 percent, up from 3.5 percent in February, translating to approximately 2 million unemployed workers, an increase from the previous month’s 1.8 million.
Despite the rise in unemployment, the underemployment rate saw a decrease, dropping to 11 percent from 12.4 percent in February. This suggests that while more Filipinos are jobless, fewer employed workers are seeking additional hours or jobs.
The agriculture and forestry sectors experienced significant job losses, with a decrease of 881,000 jobs, followed by the fishing and aquaculture sectors which saw a reduction of 449,000 jobs, and the accommodation and food service sectors with 118,000 fewer jobs.
Dennis Mapa, National Statistician and PSA Undersecretary, attributed the agricultural job losses to the peak of the El Niño phenomenon, which severely impacted farms. He elaborated on the economic impacts, stating, “Lumabas na yung report ng value production ng agriculture and fisheries at makikita natin na doon sa crops at sa fisheries, kasama na rin yung sa livestock ano, particularly hog farming, ay nagkaroon tayo ng pagbawas sa value production,” highlighting the consistent correlation between agricultural productivity and employment figures.
In contrast, sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and public administration saw an increase in job numbers, with significant additions across these industries.
Looking forward, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is committed to enhancing employment opportunities for Filipinos. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan emphasized the government’s strategy, saying, “We will focus on attracting job-generating investments from the private sector and scaling up social and physical infrastructure to improve our people’s employment prospects to achieve this goal.”