Halos 3 Million Pinoys Walang Trabaho Noong January — Unemployment Rate Tumaas sa 5.8%
The number of jobless Filipinos surged to 2.96 million in January 2026, a sharp increase from 2.26 million in December 2025, according to the latest Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday.
Deputy National Statistician Divinia Gracia del Prado reported that the unemployment rate climbed to 5.8%, up from 4.4% in December. Year-on-year, the figure also worsened — January 2025 recorded only 2.17 million unemployed Filipinos with a 4.3% rate.
In simpler terms, that means 58 out of every 1,000 Filipinos in the labor force had no jobs or livelihood during the period. The total labor force participation stood at 50.89 million individuals aged 15 and above who were actively seeking employment.
The spike comes amid a challenging economic environment, with rising fuel prices and inflation squeezing household budgets. The government has been rolling out various interventions, including cash assistance programs and fuel subsidies, to cushion the impact on vulnerable sectors.
Economists have noted that January typically sees higher unemployment due to the end of holiday-season temporary jobs, but the magnitude of this increase has raised concerns about the broader labor market heading into 2026.
Source: GMA News
