Philippines unemployment climbs to 4.9% in June, jobless count at 2.59 million

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the unemployment rate rose to 4.9 percent in June, up from 4.8 percent in May, as the number of jobless Filipinos increased to 2.59 million from 2.50 million. At the same time, the employed population grew to 50.66 million, up from 49.63 million, causing the overall employment rate to slip slightly to 95.1 percent from 95.2 percent.

Labor‑force participation improved, reaching 65.1 percent in June compared with 63.8 percent in May. Underemployment also rose, with 6.11 million workers seeking additional work or longer hours, while the underemployment rate eased marginally to 12.1 percent from 12.2 percent.