PH’s Unemployment Spikes to Pandemic-era High as Typhoons Batter Industries

The number of jobless Filipinos grew to 2.59 million in July 2025, registering a 5.3 percent national unemployment rate, amid typhoons and other weather disturbances that successively hit the country and heavily impacted local industries.

The unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in July 2024, with 2.38 million without work. (Photo: Philippine Information Agency)

Based on data from the latest Labor Force Survey (LFS) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on September 10, 2025, the July figures represented a sharp increase from June 2025, which logged 1.95 million out of work and a 3.7 percent jobless rate.

This latest unemployment rate was the highest in the last three years, or since the 6.03 percent recorded in June 2022, when the economy was still reeling from the heavy impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that had resulted in massive lockdowns.

The unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in July 2024, with 2.38 million without work.

Underemployment likewise climbed to 14.8 percent, from 11.4 percent in June, with around 6.8 million employed Filipinos saying they were looking for additional work or longer hours to boost their income—up from 5.76 million in the previous month.

The underemployment rate in July 2024 was 12.1 percent.

According to the July 2025 figures, the Bicol Region recorded the highest unemployment rate at 7.7 percent, while the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) logged the lowest at 3.4 percent.

On the other hand, Soccsksargen had the highest underemployment rate at 24.8 percent, while CAR had the lowest at 7.6 percent.

“The jobless rate rose in July primarily due to four typhoons and the southwest monsoon that devastated the agricultural sector,” National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said.

He explained that the agricultural sector—comprising skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers—lost 974,000 jobs year-on-year. In terms of major industries, agriculture and forestry lost 1.38 million jobs compared with the same time last year.

Mapa noted that “the sectors that lost the most jobs are usually sensitive to weather disturbances—specifically agriculture, construction, fishing, and, in a way, retail trade.”

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma affirmed that the agriculture sector is “the contributor to the spike in unemployment due to the adverse weather conditions and multiple tropical depressions last July.”

Data also showed that wholesale and retail trade, along with the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, shed 897,000 workers compared with the same month last year, while fishing and aquaculture lost 173,000 workers.

“The government must intensify efforts to enhance climate resilience and improve workforce agility to future-proof the country’s labor market,” said Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

He added that this must be complemented by expanded rural infrastructure, improved digital connectivity, and increased access to training opportunities.

Balisacan stressed that in response to the decline in agricultural employment, government policies must focus on boosting productivity and resilience in the sector through modernized production methods, climate-smart practices, and stronger market linkages.

“The latest employment figures underscore the urgency of modernizing our economic sectors to withstand disruptions, whether from climate change or technological shifts,” the socioeconomic planning chief emphasized.