Cagayan de oro: The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) 10 (Northern Mindanao) on Wednesday reported a slight decline in the region's unemployment rate in 2025, with the figure settling at 3.7 percent, lower than the national average of 4.1 percent.

According to Philippines News Agency, PSA-10 Director Dr. Janith Aves highlighted that the unemployment rate decreased from 3.8 percent in 2024 to 3.7 percent in 2025. Aves noted a reduction of approximately 4,000 in the number of unemployed individuals, decreasing from an estimated 91,000 in 2024 to 87,000 in 2025.

The employment rate showed a minor change, with 2.32 million employed persons in 2024 (96.2 percent) adjusting to 2.29 million in 2025 (96.3 percent). Northern Mindanao maintained its position as sixth nationwide in labor force participation rate (LFPR), recorded at 64.8 percent.

Aves emphasized the necessity to enhance job quality across various industries, as data pointed to a rise in the underemployment rate. The underemployment rate increased to 17.1 percent in 2025, or 393,000 individuals, compared to 16.4 percent (380,000) in 2024. This rate remained higher than the national average of 14.9 percent, indicating challenges in providing quality employment opportunities in the region.

The services sector in Northern Mindanao now employs 56.2 percent of workers, reflecting a continued shift in employment structure away from agriculture and industry. Among the provinces in the region, Misamis Oriental reported the highest LFPR at 72.3 percent and an employment rate of 97.4 percent, while Bukidnon recorded the highest underemployment rate at 31.3 percent.