Jobless rate drops to 3.8% in February

The country's jobs situation improved in February, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday, with unemployment falling to 3.8 percent from 4.3 percent at the start of the year.

The result — the lowest since December's 3.1 percent but higher than the year-earlier 3.5 percent — was equivalent to 1.94 million Filipinos without jobs, 228,000 lower than January's 2.16 million but 141,000 higher than the year-ago 1.8 million.

National Statistician and PSA chief Claire Dennis Mapa said the accommodation and food service sector provided the biggest boost by adding around 377,000 jobs ahead of the summer season, and that preparations for the midterm elections also helped create more job opportunities for Filipinos.

"In February, about 41,000 people were employed by political organizations. This will likely continue until May and is part of seasonal trends," Mapa said.

Job quality up

Underemployment — which counts those looking for more work or an extra job — also improved in February by dropping to 10.1 percent, or 4.96 million individuals, down from 13.3 percent and 12.4 percent a month and year earlier, respectively.

With employment rising to 96.2 percent from January's 95.7 percent — but slightly lower than the 96.5 percent in February last year — the number of those with jobs increased to 49.15 million from 48.49 million.

The services sector continued to account for the bulk of jobs with a share of 61.6 percent, while agriculture and industry respectively had 20.1 percent and 18.3 percent of the total.

The labor force participation rate — an estimate of the number of people actively engaged in the workforce — registered at 64.5, higher than the 63.9 percent recorded in the previous month but again lower than February 2024's 64.8 percent.

Improvements still needed

Despite the February improvement, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said that unemployment in the country remained higher compared to neighbors such as Malaysia (3.1 percent) and Vietnam (2.2 percent), but was lower than China (5.4 percent) and India (6.4 percent).

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the government remained focused on generating strategic and high-quality employment opportunities by attracting investments, accelerating infrastructure projects, and promoting innovation.

"We will build on our momentum and intensify our efforts to secure strategic job-generating investments, promote a dynamic and innovative business environment, and diversify growth drivers," the NEDA chief said.

"The continued rollout and implementation of high-impact infrastructure flagship projects, particularly in energy, transport, and digital connectivity, will boost domestic employment and business activity," he added.

To better equip Filipino workers for an evolving labor market, Balisacan said the government was prioritizing upskilling and lifelong learning.

The NEDA said it was developing a Lifelong Learning Development Framework that would support continuous learning and help workers acquire micro-credentials or pursue higher education while employed.

It also plans to expand partnerships with the private sector to ensure that training programs align with industry needs.

This will be implemented under the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework, whose implementing rules were finalized in February by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Labor and Employment.

Source: Manila Times

Sari-sari stores become hubs for women empowerment

Sari-sari stores are becoming hubs for cultivating psychological, social and economic empowerment among Filipina entrepreneurs, according to a study by startup Packworks in collaboration with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

Findings of the PIDS- published study entitled “Gender, Microentrepreneurship, Human Flourishing: Exploring the Experiences of Women Sari-sari Store Owners toward Inclusive Growth” showed that sari-sari stores are not just a primary source of daily essentials but have also become a vital source of empowerment among women entrepreneurs.

“The results of the study suggest that women, through their ownership of sari-sari stores, are able to achieve individual well-being while also extending it to their own communities,” the study said.

“Thus, this study offered a nuanced perspective on the significance of sari-sari stores, not only to the economic development of communities, but the individual and social well-being of its women owners,” it added.

The study highlighted that women sari-sari store owners take pride in being considered entrepreneurs and business owners, which provides them a sense of independence, confidence, and fulfillment from managing their micro-retail businesses.

In addition, participants in the study also expressed that managing and operating sari-sari stores gives them a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

“I can buy things for myself, my kid and my family now. I am not just a housewife anymore,” one participant in the study said. “Because of my store, I am now busy with other things apart from taking care of my family. I feel more fulfilled.”

The PIDS-published study also demonstrates that women store owners achieve social empowerment by earning higher social status. This is notably observed in their customers addressing them with terms of respect like ‘ma’am’ or ‘boss,’ a cultural marker of their elevated position within the community.

Moreover, women sari-sari store owners who exhibited characteristics of a transformational leader or qualities such as strong empathy, care, and collaboration with the community reported high levels of well-being, empowerment, optimism, and resilience.

“By becoming more independent and confident, women store owners were able to take on important roles within their communities,” Packworks said.

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Source: Philstar

Philippine unemployment rate rises to 4.3% in January

There were 2.16 million jobless Filipinos in January, up from 1.63 million unemployed in December as the wealth of seasonal jobs during the Christmas rush might have started to wane, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported.

That was equivalent to an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, worse than the 3.1 percent rate in December 2024.

At the same time, there were 6.47 million employed individuals who sought additional jobs or extra working hours in January to augment their income, higher than 5.48 million in the preceding month.

Philippine historical jobs data

That translated to an underemployment rate of 13.3 percent, worse than the 10.9 percent previously.

The unemployment rate also worsened from last year’s full-year average rate of 3.8 percent.

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 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.

Source: Inquirer