Unemployment drops, but underemployment remains a concern
TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas recorded an improved employment rate of 97.6 percent in January 2025, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
This is a significant increase from 94.5 percent in January 2024 and 96.9 percent in October 2024, signaling continued recovery and growth in the region’s labor market.
The higher employment rate means that 2.09 million people were employed out of the 2.14 million in the labor force as of January 2025.
This marks a notable rise of 231,000 employed persons compared to the 1.86 million employed in January 2024, and 19,000 more than the 2.07 million reported in October 2024.
Consequently, the unemployment rate in the region dropped to 2.4 percent, down from 5.5 percent in January 2024 and 3.1 percent in October 2024.
The figure translates to about 52,000 unemployed individuals in January 2025, compared to 107,000 a year earlier and 66,000 in the previous quarter.
Despite the positive employment trend, the underemployment rate—which measures the percentage of employed persons seeking more hours of work or additional jobs—was recorded at 16.1 percent.
This means that approximately 335,000 employed individuals in Eastern Visayas were still looking for better or additional work opportunities.
The region also posted a Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of 63.4 percent, indicating that 2.14 million individuals were actively participating in the labor force out of an estimated 3.37 million population aged 15 years and older.
These figures suggest that while job availability in Eastern Visayas has improved, the quality and sustainability of employment remain critical areas for policy intervention.
Authorities and stakeholders are expected to focus on addressing underemployment, enhancing skills development, and creating more decent and stable jobs for the growing workforce.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)
