MANILA, PHILIPPINES

The last quarter of 2019 saw the lowest unemployment and underemployment rates in 14 years. But the
pandemic brought unemployment to unprecedented levels.

AT A GLANCE

After a downward trend for unemployment since 2005 and a 14-year-low rate in October 2019, the
coronavirus pandemic caused unemployment to shoot to a record-high 17.7% in April 2020, more than
triple the unemployment rate in April 2019. This means almost 1 in every 5 persons in the labor force are
unemployed.

Economists say the actual number of jobless persons may be much higher, accounting for those excluded
from the labor force as well as potential entrants who were hindered by the lockdown.

For employment recovery, economists urge the government to support the agricultural sector and others
with job-supporting potential, provide aid to workers and businesses, and adapt the Build, Build, Build
program to strengthen pandemic resilience.

The coronavirus pandemic caused the highest unemployment rate in the country on record, leaving
around 7.3 million Filipinos jobless.

The virus outbreak offset the 14-year-low unemployment and underemployment rates achieved in the
first half of President Rodrigo Duterte's 4th year in office, particularly in October 2019. The
unemployment rate decreased from 5.4% in July 2019 to 4.5% in October 2019, the lowest across all
quarters since 2005.

COVID-19 causes exponential unemployment increase

The coronavirus outbreak caused the unemployment rate to spike to 17.7% in April 2020, the highest
unemployment rate since the earliest comparable data in 2005, based on the preliminary results of the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). This is more than triple the 5.1% unemployment rate recorded in
April 2019.

The 17.7% unemployment rate, close to 20%, means that around 1 in every 5 persons in the labor force
is unemployed, confirmed economist JC Punongbayan in a phone interview.