Philippine unemployment rate hits three-year high in July due to typhoons – BusinessWorld Online
By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
The Philippines’ unemployment rate rose to 5.3% in July, the highest since June 2022, as a series of typhoons and monsoon rains dented hiring activity, the statistics agency said.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the number of jobless Filipinos in July rose to 2.59 million, from 2.38 million a year ago and 1.95 million in June.
The 5.3% unemployment rate was the highest in three years or since the 6% in June 2022 which had reflected the impact of the pandemic lockdowns. It also matched the jobless rate seen in August 2022.
The July jobless rate was also higher than the 4.7% rate in the same month in 2024, and the 3.7% in June 2025.
National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa said the jobless rate rose in July as four typhoons and the southwest monsoon that devastated the agricultural sector.
The agricultural sector lost 974,000 workers month on month. Year on year it lost 1.38 million laborers.
“The agriculture sector is the contributor to the spike in unemployment due to the adverse weather conditions and multiple tropical depressions last July. I cannot predict if this is just a one-time occurrence as there are still projections of weather disturbances this year,” Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma told BusinessWorld via Viber.
The wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles shed 897,000 workers from the same month last year, while fishing and aquaculture lost 173,000.
Mr. Mapa said agricultural workers who lost jobs due to bad weather transferred to the construction industry.
PSA data also showed the underemployment rate rose to 14.8% in July from 12.1% in the same month a year ago and 11.4% in June.
The ranks of underemployed Filipinos — those who want longer work hours or an additional job — reached 6.80 million in July, higher than the 5.77 million a year ago.
