Table A-1. Key Labor and Employment Indicators 2019^f-February 2025^p

Notes:                                                            
^f Estimates are final                                                            
^p Estimates are preliminary and may change                                                            
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Labor Force Survey

Highlights of the February 2025 Labor Force Survey

1. In February 2025, the country’s employment rate was estimated at 96.2 percent, lower than the recorded employment rate in February 2024 at 96.5 percent. The employment rate in January 2025 was estimated at 95.7 percent. (Table A-1)

   In terms of levels, the number of employed persons in February 2025 was recorded at 49.15 million. This was higher than the number of employed persons of 48.95 million in February 2024 and in January 2025 at 48.49 million. (Table A)

2. The unemployment rate in February 2025 was recorded at 3.8 percent. This was higher than the estimated unemployment rate in February 2024 at 3.5 percent, but lower than the unemployment rate in January 2025 at 4.3 percent. (Table A-1)

   In terms of magnitude, the total number of unemployed individuals in February 2025 was registered at 1.94 million. This was higher than the number of unemployed persons in February 2024 at 1.80 million. In January 2025, the number of unemployed individuals was registered at 2.16 million. (Table A)  

3. The labor force participation rate (LFPR) in February 2025 was estimated at 64.5 percent, lower than the registered LFPR in February 2024 at 64.8 percent. In January 2025, the LFPR was estimated at 63.9 percent. (Table A-1)

   The reported LFPR in February 2025 translates to a total of 51.09 million Filipinos aged 15 years old and over who were in the labor force, or those who were either employed or unemployed. The number of individuals aged 15 years old and over who were in the labor force was 50.75 million in February 2024 and 50.65 million in January 2025. (Table A)

4. On average, employed persons worked 41.1 hours per week. This was higher than the average hours worked in a week in February 2024 at 40.1 hours and in January 2025 at 40.4 hours. (Table A)

   About 73 thousand employed persons or 0.15 percent of the total number of employed persons worked for exactly one hour in February 2025. This indicates an increment from the recorded number in February 2024 at 52 thousand employed persons (0.11%) and in January 2025 at 59 thousand employed persons (0.12%). (Table 2)

5. The underemployment rate in February 2025 showed a decrement of 10.1 percent, from 12.4 percent in February 2024 and 13.3 percent in January 2025. (Table A-1)

   In terms of magnitude, 4.96 million of the 49.15 million employed individuals expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work in February 2025. (Table A)

6. By broad industry group, services continued to be the top sector in terms of the number of employed persons, with a share of 61.6 percent of the total employed persons in February 2025. The agriculture and industry sectors accounted for 20.1 percent and 18.3 percent of the total number of employed persons, respectively. (Table 1)

   The top five sub-sectors in terms of annual increase in the number of employed persons in February 2025 were the following:

   1. Accommodation and food service activities (377 thousand);
   2. Fishing and aquaculture (365 thousand);
   3. Public administration and defense; compulsory social security (330 thousand);
   4. Construction (258 thousand); and
   5. Other service activities (232 thousand).

   In contrast, the following five sub-sectors posted the highest annual decreases in the number of employed persons:

   1. Agriculture and forestry (-949 thousand);
   2. Administrative and support service activities (-201 thousand);
   3. Transportation and storage (-158 thousand);
   4. Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (-77 thousand); and
   5. Professional, scientific and technical activities (-68 thousand).

   (Table B)

   As to month-on-month changes in the number of employed persons in February 2025, the top five sub-sectors with the largest increase were the following:

   1. Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (620 thousand);
   2. Construction (434 thousand);
   3. Manufacturing (225 thousand);
   4. Public administration and defense; compulsory social security (191 thousand); and
   5. Fishing and aquaculture (147 thousand).

   On the other hand, the top five sub-sectors with the largest drop in the number of employed persons from January 2025 to February 2025 were the following:

   1. Agriculture and forestry (-520 thousand);
   2. Administrative and support service activities (-308 thousand);
   3. Transportation and storage (-176 thousand);
   4. Professional, scientific and technical activities (-90 thousand); and
   5. Information and communication (-89 thousand);

   (Table B)

7. Wage and salary workers continued to account for the largest share of employed persons with 63.2 percent of the total number of employed persons in February 2025. This was followed by self-employed persons without any paid employee at 28.2 percent and unpaid family workers at 6.6 percent. Employers in own family-operated farm or business had the lowest share of 2.0 percent. (Table 1)

   Among wage and salary workers, those employed in private establishments remained to have the highest share at 77.3 percent of the wage and salary workers or 48.8 percent of the total number of employed persons. This was followed by those employed in government or government-controlled corporations with a share of 14.7 percent of the wage and salary workers or 9.3 percent of the total number of employed persons during the period. (Table 1)

8. Youth LFPR decreased to 31.1 percent in February 2025 from 33.8 percent in February 2024 and 31.8 percent in January 2025. Youth employment rate was estimated at 89.6 percent in February 2025, lower than the registered rate of 91.4 percent in February 2024. (Table A)

(Sgd.) CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, PhD                  
Undersecretary                  
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

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