By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Amid notable inflationary pressures arising from bad weather and expensive fuels, the domestic labor market remains relatively insulated from these recent developments that can be attributed to soaring living costs.
In a press conference on Wednesday, National Statistician Usec. Claire Dennis Mapa shared the results of the Labor Force Survey, with the labor force participation rate (LFPR) for August 2026 recorded at 64.0%, higher than the 63.6% in July 2026.
This accounts for 52.56 million Filipinos aged 15 years and older in the workforce, a marginal increase from the 52.36 million in July 2026.
Usec. Mapa also shared a decrease in the August 2026 unemployment rate to 5.3% from 6.0% in July 2026, representing 2.77 million unemployed persons in August compared to 3.14 million in July.
This was complemented by the 94.7% employment rate in August 2026, up from 94.0% in July 2026, which accounts for 49.79 million employed persons in August compared to 49.21 million in the previous month.
These figures are attributable to the uptick in employment experienced by the following sectors on an annual basis:
- Agriculture and Forestry (532,000)
- Education (298,000)
- Accommodation and Food Service Activities (195,000)
- Transportation and Storage (185,000)
- Human Health and Social Work Activities (142,000)
Meanwhile, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded an 11.9% underemployment rate in August 2026, lower than the 12.9% in July 2026, which translates to 5.90 million of the 49.79 million employed individuals who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job, or to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work in August 2026.
The LFPR among youth aged 15-24 years decreased to 32.7% in August 2026 from 33.7% in July 2026, with the youth employment rate estimated at 84.3% in August 2026—higher than the 81.4% in July 2026.
While these percentages may look miniscule on paper, they serve as positive indicators of a stable labor market that resulted in new jobs and a reduction in the number of Filipinos without a source of income. (with report from Elijah Canlas | PTV News)
jpv
