Manila: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday welcomed the increase in the country's employment rate in April, stating that it illustrates the resilience of the labor market. "The Philippine labor market continues to show its remarkable resilience with a strong employment rate of 95.9 percent in April 2025," DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma announced, citing the latest labor report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

According to Philippines News Agency, although the employment rate stands slightly lower than the 96 percent recorded in April of the previous year, Laguesma noted an increase in employment from 48.354 million workers to 48.672 million, marking an increase of 317,290. "This stability mirrors the robust employment levels we saw in April of last year and remains very close to the high of 95.7 percent recorded in January 2025, a clear sign that a consistently high proportion of Filipinos are employed and contributing to our economy," he stated.

The PSA report highlighted that industries experiencing the largest increase in employment include administrative and support service activities, public administration and defense, agriculture and forestry, construction, and education. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.1 percent, up from 4 percent in April last year. Laguesma pointed out that this represents a positive decrease from the 4.3 percent recorded in January 2025.

Laguesma, whose resignation was recently rejected by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., emphasized the importance of strengthening the labor force by addressing education-job mismatch, skills-job mismatch, and geographical disparities. He assured that DOLE will continue to "craft effective and relevant employment policies, enhance workforce employability and skills, and broaden access to jobs and livelihood opportunities across the nation."

Furthermore, Laguesma highlighted DOLE's focus on fostering a conducive environment for sustainable and resilient businesses nationwide, guided by the principles of tripartism, social dialogue, and meaningful sectoral consultations. "This integrated approach ensures that every Filipino worker and their family can look forward to a brighter, more secure future," he concluded.