Philippine unemployment rises to 5.4% in September 2026
The jobless population reached 2.86 million, while construction lost 271,000 workers compared with September 2025.
Unemployment in the Philippines reached 5.4% in September 2026, with 2.86 million people out of work, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) figures released on November 6. Both measures were higher than in August and September 2025.
The PSA recorded 2.77 million unemployed people in August, equivalent to a 5.3% jobless rate. In September 2025, unemployment stood at 3.8%, with 1.96 million people without jobs.
Employment numbers also rose, reaching 50.32 million in September 2026, compared with 49.79 million in August and 49.6 million a year earlier. Despite that increase, the employment rate fell to 94.6%. It had been 94.7% in August and 96.2% in September 2025.
Construction recorded the largest annual employment decline, losing 271,000 workers and leaving the sector with a workforce of 4.70 million. National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa linked the reduction to increased material costs and a slowdown in public construction activity.
