TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Visayas recorded a decline in labor force participation and a rise in unemployment in 2025, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Eastern Visayas experienced a slowdown in employment performance in 2025 as fewer residents participated in the labor force while unemployment figures increased compared to the previous year, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
During the Annual 2024–2025 Labor Statistics Press Conference, PSA Region VIII reported that the region’s Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) dropped to 60.5 percent in 2025 from 63.6 percent in 2024.
This means fewer people aged 15 and above were either employed or actively seeking work. The figure placed Eastern Visayas below the national average of 64.1 percent, making it the second lowest among all regions nationwide.
In actual numbers, the labor force in Eastern Visayas declined from about 2.13 million in 2024 to around 2.06 million in 2025.
PSA officials attributed the decrease to continuing economic challenges affecting jobs and household income in the region.
The unemployment rate also rose from 2.8 percent in 2024 to 3.9 percent in 2025, with around 79,000 individuals recorded as unemployed this year, up from 59,000 last year. Despite the increase, the region remained slightly below the national unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.
Among provinces, Leyte posted the highest unemployment rate at 5.3 percent, while Northern Samar recorded the lowest at 1.0 percent. Northern Samar also had the highest employment rate at 99 percent, while Leyte posted the lowest at 94.7 percent.
Sector-wise, construction led job gains with about 22,000 new jobs, followed by transportation and storage with 10,000, and public administration and defense-related services with 8,000.
However, major job losses were recorded in agriculture and wholesale and retail trade, which shed about 55,000 and 37,000 jobs, respectively. Other service sectors also reported declines.
PSA also noted an increase in youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET), which rose from 14.3 percent in 2024 to 15.3 percent in 2025, signaling continued challenges in youth employment.
The services sector remained the region’s largest employer, followed by agriculture despite its decline.
(ROCHELLE T.MORILLA, LNU Student Intern)
