By Brian Campued
The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains committed to strengthening the labor market, especially during severe weather events, to minimize business disruptions and protect the Filipino workforce.
In a news release Wednesday, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) assured that the government will support the development of business continuity and resiliency plans, as well as the full implementation of the Philippine Innovation Act to increase labor demand by supporting entrepreneurs.
This as the number of unemployed Filipinos increased to about 2.25 million individuals (4.4%) in November 2025 from 1.66 million persons (3.2%) during the same month in 2024, according to the latest Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
However, month-on-month, the unemployment rate in November 2025 was lower compared to 5% jobless rate in October 2025.
Underemployment rate, on the other hand, eased to 10.4% in November last year from 10.8% in November 2024 and 12% in October 2025.
This means that in November 2025, around 5.11 million employed Filipinos wanted to have additional working hours, to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours.
Compared to October 2025, high job losses were logged in agriculture and forestry (minus 517,000); public administration and defense (minus 121,000); fishing and aquaculture (minus 78,000); financial and insurance activities (minus 73,000); and manufacturing (minus 64,000) in November.
National Statistician and PSA Usec. Claire Dennis Mapa said that major decreases in the number of employed persons were observed in jobs affected by work disruptions due to severe weather events, especially the agriculture sector.
To recall, three tropical cyclones hit the Philippines in November last year: Typhoon Tino, Super Typhoon Uwan, and Tropical Depression Verbena—with Tino and Uwan being the most destructive storms in 2025.
“Sensitive naman talaga kasi yung sa agri sector, in terms of employment, doon sa weather conditions. And as I’ve mentioned, medyo malawak ‘yung impact ng dalawang typhoons in particular na na-experience natin noong month ng November,” Mapa said during a press conference.
To address the impact of climate-related economic disruptions as well as global and domestic headwinds to the labor sector, DEPDev Sec. Arsenio Balisacan said the government is keen on prioritizing skills development, lifelong learning, and social protection systems “to enable workers to transition across sectors and withstand economic shocks.”
“Strengthening workforce competitiveness is one of the key elements to attract investments that generate quality jobs,” Balisacan said in a statement.
Among the interventions being undertaken by the administration is the rollout of “Tatak Pinoy” strategy, the 10-year national industrial roadmap aimed at boosting priority industries, creating jobs, and elevating local products to global standards.
To support these initiatives, the DEPDev chief investments in quality education and programs for upskilling and reskilling will be increased under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
“The 2026 national budget serves as a strategic roadmap for safeguarding economic recovery and sustaining progress toward our long-term development goals,” Balisacan said.
“It prioritizes investments in education, health, agriculture, social protection, and job creation—sectors fundamental to building a more inclusive, competitive, and resilient Philippine economy,” he added.
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