The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Wednesday that the underemployment rate rose to 13.4 percent in March, up from 11 percent in the same period last year.

This translates to approximately 6.44 million Filipino workers seeking additional hours, a second job, or a new job with longer working hours.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.9 percent, with the number of unemployed individuals declining to 1.93 million.

However, both the labor force and employment levels contracted by approximately 1.2 million. This resulted in a labor force participation rate of 62.9 percent in March 2025, down from 65.3 percent in the same period last year.

The PSA cited schooling and household responsibilities as the primary reasons for individuals not actively seeking employment. Department of Economy, Planning Development