By Brian Campued
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) on Tuesday called for stronger collaboration between government and industry to equip workers with the skills demanded by a rapidly evolving economy.
This, as the number of jobless Filipinos in April slightly fell to 4.7% from 5% in March—equivalent to 2.41 million individuals looking for work during the month.
However, the latest unemployment rate remained higher than the 4.1% recorded in April 2025.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the top five sub-sectors that posted the highest annual decreases in the number of employed persons were:
- Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles (-450,000);
- Agriculture and Forestry (-392,000);
- Fishing and Aquaculture (-155,000);
- Administrative and Support Service Activities (-50,000); and
- Public Administration and Defense; Compulsory Social Security (-50,000).
On the other hand, the largest drop in the number of employed persons from January 2026 to April 2026 was recorded in Other Service Activities sub-sector (-263,000), particularly in domestic services such as the employment of domestic helpers, family drivers, and housemaids (-215,000).
The underemployment rate also rose to 15.2% in April 2026 from 14.6% during the same period last year. This means that 7.41 million employed persons were still looking for extra jobs or extra work hours during the month compared to 7.09 million in April 2025.
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Usec. Claire Dennis Mapa said this may be attributed to the impact of higher fuel prices on some sub-sectors, particularly the Transportation and Storage.
“In particular ito yung mga passenger land transport natin—mga jeepney drivers, taxi drivers, Angkas drivers. Meron din tayong pagtaas sa freight transport by road at courier activities,” Mapa said in a public briefing.
“While in a way yung pagiging employed ay hindi naman naapektuhan, yung haba ng oras at yung kita ay yun yung naapektuhan, as reflected by the underemployment numbers in Transportation and Storage,” he noted.
In a statement, DEPDev Sec. Arsenio Balisacan stressed that the government continues to monitor the impacts of recent disruptions, including the Middle East crisis and the El Niño phenomenon, on employment and livelihoods.
He added that assistance efforts are being carried out under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) framework, while the inter-agency El Niño Task Force will be reconvened to help safeguard jobs and livelihoods, particularly in the agricultural sector.
Balisacan also cited the importance of strengthening business continuity and expanding opportunities for quality employment.
“We are working to broaden market access and attract investments in emerging industries, including artificial intelligence and other high-growth sectors, through strengthened economic partnerships and initiatives such as the Luzon Economic Corridor,” he said.
“The government is strengthening partnerships with the private sector to expand apprenticeship opportunities, improve certification systems, and support worker mobility toward high-value industries such as advanced electronics, renewable energy, and digital services,” he added.
The country’s chief economist said that efforts are also underway to integrate job-formalization pathways into temporary employment programs, such as the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), enabling workers to transition to more stable, productive, and higher-quality jobs.
“These initiatives are essential to building a more resilient labor market that can withstand shocks while creating better opportunities for Filipino workers,” Balisacan said.
-jpv
