DOLE pushes for ‘quality’ jobs amid underemployment drop

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is pushing for “quality” jobs amid the decline in the underemployment rate.

This was reflected in the results of the May 2026 Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, which also showed a significant month-on-month increase in employment.

The DOLE said the latest labor market indicators reflect the “gains from sustained government interventions to improve job quality, strengthen workforce competitiveness and expand employment opportunities despite prevailing global and domestic economic uncertainties.”

The survey showed that 49.63 million Filipinos were employed as of May 2026, an increase of approximately 740,000 from the 48.89 million employed in April 2026.

The underemployment rate fell to 12.2 percent from 15.2 percent in April, representing about 1.16 million fewer underemployed workers seeking additional work or longer working hours.

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said the figures reflect the country’s “continuing labor market resilience while underscoring the need to sustain reforms that create not only more jobs but better-quality employment.”

The unemployment rate was recorded at 4.8 percent, equivalent to 2.5 million unemployed Filipinos, compared to 3.9 percent or 2.03 million in May 2025.

Palace: Jobless not neglected

Malacañang, for its part, assured the public that the government would sustain efforts to address unemployment.

“It will not be neglected. It will always be monitored by the agencies of government and many measures are being done. Right now, it is being felt because of the oil crisis, but the interventions of the government are still there to ease the impact of what we are experiencing until now,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said yesterday. ?

Castro said the government continuously provides assistance to sectors hit by the Middle East conflict.

She cited the fuel subsidies given to fishermen, some of whom were forced to find other means of livelihood because of high oil prices.? – Alexis Romero