Manila, March 6 -- The country's unemployment rate declined to 4.3 percent in January 2025, down from 4.5 percent recorded in January 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.

Underemployment also decreased to 13.3 percent from 13.7 percent, indicating an improvement in job quality.

The PSA also reported that more Filipinos entered the labor market.

Labor force participation rose to 63.9 percent, up from 61.1 percent during the same period last year. This rise equates to an additional 2.6 million individuals across all age groups joining the labor force, of which 1.4 million are in their prime working age.

Youth labor force participation increased to 31.8 percent in January 2025, up from 29.7 percent a year earlie...