Philippine jobless rate ticks up 4.3% in January

MANILA, Philippines– The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has released the latest employment figures for January, showing an increase in the national unemployment rate.

Approximately 2.16 million Filipinos were unemployed in January, up from 1.63 million in December. This resulted in an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, up from the previous month’s 3.1 percent.

The increase in unemployment is attributed to the end of the holiday season, a period known for temporary job opportunities.

Many sectors, particularly those responding to the seasonal rise in consumer demand, saw a reduction in temporary employment after the holidays, contributing to the higher unemployment figures in January.