TACLOBAN CITY — Fewer people joined the workforce in Eastern Visayas in 2025 as the region recorded declining labor participation, fewer employed workers, and rising unemployment, reflecting continuing economic challenges particularly in agriculture and trade, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority-8 (PSA-8) showed that the region’s labor force participation rate (LFPR) fell to 60.5 percent in 2025 from 63.6 percent in 2024, placing Eastern Visayas below the national average of 64.1 percent and making it the second lowest among all regions in the country.
The labor force refers to individuals aged 15 years and over who are either employed or actively looking for work. In terms of actual numbers, the region’s labor force declined to about 2.06 million individuals in 2025 from 2.13 million in the previous year.
The slowdown in labor participation came alongside an increase in unemployment. PSA-8 reported that the unemployment rate in Eastern Visayas rose to 3.9 percent in 2025, up from 2.8 percent in 2024. The number of unemployed persons increased to around 79,000 from 59,000 a year earlier.
Despite the increase, the region’s unemployment rate remained slightly lower than the national average of 4.2 percent.
Leyte posted the highest unemployment rate among the provinces at 5.3 percent, while Northern Samar registered the lowest at 1.0 percent. Biliran recorded the highest labor force participation rate at 65.6 percent, followed by Southern Leyte at 63.6 percent and Eastern Samar at 63.3 percent. Northern Samar had the lowest participation rate at 57.5 percent.
Employment levels in the region also declined during the year. The employment rate dropped to 96.1 percent from 97.2 percent in 2024, while the total number of employed individuals decreased to about 1.98 million from 2.07 million.
PSA-8 said the services sector continued to dominate the regional labor market, accounting for 55.3 percent of total employment. Agriculture remained the second largest employer at 28.6 percent, followed by industry at 16.1 percent.
Among the subsectors, agriculture and forestry remained the largest source of jobs, employing 23.5 percent of workers in the region. Wholesale and retail trade, including repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, accounted for 19.8 percent, while construction contributed 11.2 percent.
Construction emerged as the fastest-growing employment subsector in 2025, adding about 22,000 jobs. Transportation and storage added 10,000 jobs, while public administration and defense, including compulsory social security, gained 8,000 workers.
However, agriculture and forestry suffered the largest job losses, shedding about 55,000 workers during the year. Wholesale and retail trade lost 37,000 jobs, while other service activities declined by 23,000.
The PSA-8 also noted that wage and salary workers comprised the majority of employed individuals in Eastern Visayas at 58.3 percent. Self-employed workers accounted for 32.3 percent, while unpaid family workers represented 7.7 percent of the workforce.
Meanwhile, underemployment in the region improved in 2025. The underemployment rate — referring to employed individuals seeking additional work or longer working hours — declined to 13.5 percent from 16.2 percent in 2024. Around 266,000 workers were considered underemployed during the year.
Southern Leyte recorded the highest underemployment rate at 28.9 percent, while Northern Samar posted the lowest at 3.6 percent.
PSA-8 also reported weaker labor participation among young people aged 15 to 24 years old. The youth labor force participation rate declined to 27.6 percent from 31.3 percent in 2024, while the youth employment rate dropped to 86.8 percent from 92.0 percent.
At the same time, the proportion of youth classified as not in education, employment, or training (NEET) increased to 15.3 percent in 2025 from 14.3 percent the previous year, indicating growing challenges among young people entering the labor market, according to PSA-8.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
