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

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

Highlights of the January 2025 Labor Force Survey

1. The country’s unemployment rate in January 2025 decreased to 4.3 percent, from 4.5 percent in January 2024. The unemployment rate in October 2024 was estimated at 3.9 percent. (Table A-1)

   In terms of magnitude, the number of unemployed individuals in January 2025 was posted at 2.16 million, the same estimate recorded in January 2024. The number of unemployed individuals in October 2024 was posted at 1.97 million. (Table A)

2. In January 2025, the employment rate was recorded at 95.7 percent. This was higher than the employment rate in January 2024 at 95.5 percent. In October 2024, the employment rate was estimated at 96.1 percent. (Table A-1)

   In terms of levels, the number of employed persons in January 2025 was recorded at 48.49 million. This was higher than the number of employed persons of 45.90 million in January 2024 and in October 2024 at 48.16 million. (Table A)

3. The labor force participation rate (LFPR) in January 2025 was estimated at 63.9 percent, higher than the estimated LFPR in January 2024 at 61.1 percent and in October 2024 at 63.3 percent. (Table A-1)

   The reported LFPR in January 2025 translates to a total of 50.65 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 48.06 million in January 2024 and 50.12 million in October 2024. (Table A)

4. On average, employed persons worked 40.4 hours per week. This was lower than the average hours worked in a week in January 2024 at 42.2 hours and in October 2024 at 41.0 hours. (Table A)

   About 59 thousand employed persons worked for exactly one hour in January 2025 or 0.12 percent of the total number of employed persons. This is higher than the recorded number in January 2024 at 34 thousand employed persons (0.07%), and that of October 2024 at 45 thousand employed persons (0.09%). (Table 2)

5. The underemployment rate in January 2025 decreased to 13.3 percent, from 13.7 percent in January 2024. In October 2024, the underemployment rate was estimated at 12.6 percent. (Table A-1)

   In terms of magnitude, 6.47 million of the 48.49 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 January 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 January 2025. The agriculture and industry sectors accounted for 21.1 percent and 17.2 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 January 2025 were the following:

   1. Agriculture and forestry (883 thousand);
   2. Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (850 thousand);
   3. Accommodation and food service activities (533 thousand);
   4. Transportation and storage (141 thousand); and
   5. Administrative and support service activities (136 thousand).

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

   1. Manufacturing (-209 thousand);
   2. Professional, scientific and technical activities (-58 thousand);
   3. Arts, entertainment and recreation (-29 thousand);
   4. Construction (-11 thousand); and
   5. Information and communication (-9 thousand);

   (Table B)

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

   1. Other service activities (203 thousand);
   2. Accommodation and food service activities (191 thousand);
   3. Fishing and aquaculture (171 thousand);
   4. Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (166 thousand); and
   5. Transportation and storage (122 thousand).

   On the other hand, the top five sub-sectors with the largest drop in the number of employed persons from October 2024 to January 2025 were the following:

   1. Manufacturing (-119 thousand);
   2. Agriculture and forestry (-113 thousand);
   3. Administrative and support service activities (-104 thousand);
   4. Construction (-92 thousand); and
   5. Public administration and defense; compulsory social security (-58 thousand);

   (Table B)

7. Wage and salary workers continued to account for the largest share of employed persons with 63.0 percent of the total number of employed persons in January 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 2.2 percent. (Table 1)

   Among wage and salary workers, those employed in private establishments remained to have the highest share at 78.5 percent of the wage and salary workers or 49.5 percent of the total number of employed persons. This was followed by those employed in government or government-controlled corporations with a share of 14.1 percent of the wage and salary workers or 8.9 percent of the total number of employed persons during the period. (Table 1)

8. Among regions, Region V (Bicol Region) registered the highest unemployment rate of 6.5 percent in January 2025, while Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) had the lowest unemployment rate of 2.3 percent. (Table 4)

9. Youth LFPR increased to 31.8 percent in January 2025 from 29.7 percent in January 2024 and 31.3 percent in October 2024. Youth employment rate was recorded at 88.0 percent in January 2025, higher than the estimated rate of 86.6 percent in January 2024.

   The proportion of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in January 2025 decreased to 11.7 percent, from 13.7 percent in January 2024. (Table A)

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

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