Unemployment rises slightly to 4.9% as fresh grads struggle to find jobs

LABOR FAIR. Job seekers register to apply for work at Isetann Cinerama Complex in Manila on March 25, 2026.

Rappler

Around 592,000 Filipinos 15 to 24 years old enter the labor force for the first time in June, but only 310,000 of these young entrants find employment

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s unemployment rate inched up to 4.9% in June 2026 as a wave of fresh graduates entered the labor market, but nearly half of the new job seekers were unable to find work, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday, August 6.

The latest rate was equivalent to 2.59 million Filipinos without jobs, higher than the 2.50 million recorded in May. It was also significantly higher than the 3.7% unemployment rate posted in June 2025.