More Filipinos were jobless and seeking additional work or longer working hours in April, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
On Tuesday, the PSA estimated 2.41 million unemployed Filipinos in April 2026, higher than the 2.06 million recorded in the same month last year but lower than the 2.96 million posted in January 2026.
This translated to an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent, up from 4.1 percent in April 2025 but lower than the 5.8 percent recorded in January 2026.
Meanwhile, some 7.41 million employed Filipinos were underemployed, or those who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work, another job, or a new job with longer working hours.
The number of underemployed workers increased from 7.09 million in April 2025 and 6.35 million in January 2026.
As a result, the underemployment rate rose to 15.2 percent in April 2026 from 14.6 percent a year earlier and 13.2 percent in January 2026.
Despite this, the country recorded 48.89 million employed Filipinos in April 2026, slightly higher than the 48.67 million recorded in April 2025 47.94 million in January 2026.
The employment rate stood at 95.3 percent, lower than the 95.9 percent posted in April 2025 but higher than the 94.2 percent in January 2026.
The country’s labor force reached 51.30 million Filipinos aged 15 years and over in April 2026, up from 50.74 million in April 2025 and 50.89 million in January 2026.
This translated to a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 62.7 percent, lower than the 63.7 percent a year earlier but higher than the 62.3 percent in January 2026.