---
title: "Farm and Construction Workers Led Monthly Job Gains as…"
canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/philippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026"
language: "en"
author: "drashtigarach"
published: "2026-10-07T08:13:04.000Z"
modified: "2026-10-07T08:41:25.864Z"
---

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# Farm and Construction Workers Led Monthly Job Gains as Philippine Unemployment Fell to 5.3%

Philippine unemployment fell to 5.3% in August from 6.0% in July, but 2.77 million people were jobless. See which sectors added workers and where to look now.

[![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach)

[October 7, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/10)15 min read

![Green terraced rice paddies in the Philippine highlands with two farmers in wide hats far away](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/final-10480.jpg)

[https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Farm%20and%20Construction%20Workers%20Led%20Monthly%20Job%20Gains%20as%20Philippine%20Unemployment%20Fell%20to%205.3%25&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Farm%20and%20Construction%20Workers%20Led%20Monthly%20Job%20Gains%20as%20Philippine%20Unemployment%20Fell%20to%205.3%25&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026&title=Farm%20and%20Construction%20Workers%20Led%20Monthly%20Job%20Gains%20as%20Philippine%20Unemployment%20Fell%20to%205.3%25](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026&title=Farm%20and%20Construction%20Workers%20Led%20Monthly%20Job%20Gains%20as%20Philippine%20Unemployment%20Fell%20to%205.3%25)[mailto:?subject=Farm%20and%20Construction%20Workers%20Led%20Monthly%20Job%20Gains%20as%20Philippine%20Unemployment%20Fell%20to%205.3%25&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026](mailto:?subject=Farm%20and%20Construction%20Workers%20Led%20Monthly%20Job%20Gains%20as%20Philippine%20Unemployment%20Fell%20to%205.3%25&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fphilippines-unemployment-5-3-percent-august-2026)

In [preliminary estimates](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), the Philippine unemployment rate [decreased to 5.3 percent in August 2026 from 6.0 percent in the previous month](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), and the number of unemployed persons was estimated at [2.77 million, lower than the 3.14 million recorded in July 2026](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf). That is the month-on-month picture. Against a year earlier the rate is still higher, since it [remained higher than the 3.9 percent recorded in August 2025](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), when 2.03 million people were unemployed. For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers, the useful part sits below the headline rate, in which sectors had more people working in August than in July, from farm and construction work to shops, why factory workers lost ground, how floods cut hours, and where Filipino job seekers can find openings and skills tests now. Here is that detail.

## What Did the August Labor Force Survey Show?

The [Philippine Statistics Authority](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) released the August round of its Labor Force Survey on 07 October 2026 under reference number 2026-325, and its [estimates are preliminary and may change](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf). The [employment rate was 94.7 percent](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), up from 94.0 percent in July 2026 but lower than the August 2025 rate of 96.1 percent.

In head counts, [employed persons numbered 49.79 million in August 2026](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), an increase from 49.21 million in July 2026 but a decrease from 50.10 million in August 2025. The [labor force participation rate was 64.0 percent](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), higher than the 63.6 percent of July 2026 but lower than the 65.1 percent of August 2025.

That rate covers [52.56 million Filipinos aged 15 years and over in the labor force](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), compared with 52.36 million in July 2026 and 52.13 million in August 2025. Put simply, [more people were working than in July but fewer than a year ago](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), even though the labor force itself was larger than a year ago.

The [Services sector made up 61.7 percent of total employed persons](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), while Agriculture accounted for 20.9 percent and Industry for 17.3 percent. In head counts, that is [30.72 million in services, 10.43 million in agriculture and 8.64 million in industry](https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/10/07/2561539/jobless-filipinos-drop-277-million-august).

## Why Did Unemployment Fall From July but Stay Above Last Year?

The two comparisons point in different directions, and both are true. Month on month, the number of [unemployed Filipinos fell by 370,000 to 2.77 million in August from 3.14 million in July](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs). Year on year, the count is up from [2.03 million Filipinos jobless in August 2025](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs), when the rate stood at 3.9 percent.

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the improvement from July was [partly because fewer new entrants joined the labor force after the surge of fresh graduates](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/) in July. New job market entrants [eased to 897,000 in August from a graduation-season peak of 1.5 million in July](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs), and of the August entrants, [470,000 were employed while 427,000 were unemployed](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/).

The July rate of 6% was the [highest level in more than four years](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/).

> The new entrants in July reached 1.5 million due to graduation, so there were really many, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said, according to [the Daily Tribune report on the August survey](https://tribune.net.ph/2026/10/07/277m-filipinos-jobless-as-unemployment-falls-to-53).

## Which Sectors Had More Workers in August Than in July?

Farm work [led the month-on-month increases in employed persons](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), ahead of construction. The [top five sub-sectors by month-on-month increase](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) were these, with figures as printed in [the Manila Bulletin story on the survey](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs).

- **Agriculture and forestry.** Agriculture and forestry posted the [biggest month-on-month employment gain, adding 847,000 workers](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs) between July and August.
- **Construction.** [Construction added another 390,000 jobs](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/) over the month.
- **Wholesale and retail trade, including repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles.** This sub-sector [gained 227,000](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs).
- **Other service activities and education.** [Other service activities added 100,000 workers, while education gained 68,000](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs).

Mapa said much of the agriculture increase [came from rice and sugarcane production](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/).

[Five sub-sectors had the largest drops in employed persons from July to August](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf). Public administration and defense, including compulsory social security, [recorded the biggest month-on-month decline, shedding 278,000 jobs](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs). Manufacturing [lost 264,000 jobs, followed by administrative and support service activities with 114,000, information and communication with 103,000, and fishing and aquaculture with 100,000](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs).

## Which Sectors Are Up or Down From a Year Ago?

The year-on-year list compares [August 2026 with August 2025](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf). The [top five annual increases in employed persons](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) in August 2026 were in agriculture and forestry, education, accommodation and food service, transportation and storage, and human health and social work.

- **Farm and forestry workers.** [Agriculture and forestry posted the largest annual increase, at 532 thousand](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf).
- **Teachers and education staff.** Education came next [with 298 thousand](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf).
- **Hotel, restaurant and food service workers.** Accommodation and food service activities [added 195 thousand](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf).
- **Drivers, logistics and health workers.** [Transportation and Storage (185 thousand) and Human Health and Social Work Activities (142 thousand)](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) completed the top five.

[Manufacturing recorded the largest annual decrease, at 350 thousand, followed by fishing and aquaculture at 335 thousand](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf). The rest of the bottom five were [Wholesale and Retail Trade (down 269 thousand), Public Administration and Defense (down 220 thousand) and Other Service Activities (down 212 thousand)](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf).

Wholesale and retail trade sits on both lists, having [gained 227 thousand workers between July and August](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) but being [down 269 thousand from a year earlier](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), so one good month for shop employment does not undo the annual drop.

## Why Are Factory Jobs Shrinking?

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said manufacturing employment [has declined for three consecutive months, from 3.46 million workers in June to 3.43 million in July and 3.16 million in August](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs).

He [attributed the decline partly to global market headwinds affecting electronics and garments, as well as seasonal factors](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs), and said the [electronics industry was among those affected](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/).

For assemblers, machine operators and garment workers, the August data shows the factory floor is shrinking overall, so it is worth widening a search to logistics, food service and construction, fields that [added workers either over the year or over the month](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf).

## How Did Bad Weather Cut Working Hours?

The [average weekly hours worked by each employed person was estimated at 39.2 hours](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), lower than the 41.0 hours of August 2025 and the 40.6 hours of July 2026.

Mapa said that among the main factors behind the shorter week were [inclement weather conditions and flooding that led to work suspensions](https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/10/07/2561539/jobless-filipinos-drop-277-million-august). [About 3.7 million workers gave inclement weather as the primary reason for working fewer than 40 hours in August](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs), a sharp increase from 756,000 in July.

Mapa said shorter working hours [could also translate to lower incomes for some workers, particularly the self-employed and those paid according to the amount of time they work](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/). [Self-employed workers without any paid employee made up 27.5%](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) of the workforce, behind wage and salary workers at 64.2 percent.

> The main reason was really bad weather. So, the hours worked per week of employed persons declined because they cited bad weather as the reason, and we know that in August, there were many days of heavy rains and flooding, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said (translated), according to [the Philippine Star report on the survey](https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/10/07/2561539/jobless-filipinos-drop-277-million-august).

## What Does Underemployment Say About Job Quality?

[Underemployed persons are employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job, or to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf). In August 2026 the [underemployment rate was 11.9 percent](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), lower than 12.9 percent in July 2026 but higher than the 10.7 percent estimate in August 2025.

In head counts, [5.90 million of the 49.79 million employed individuals](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) wanted additional hours in their present job, an additional job, or a new job with longer hours. Of them, [64.5 percent worked less than 40 hours in a week](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), including those who did not work during the reference period, and 35.5 percent worked 40 hours or more.

The [youth employment rate was estimated at 84.3 percent](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) for ages 15 to 24, higher than 81.4 percent in July 2026 but lower than 88.3 percent in August 2025, while the [youth labor force participation rate decreased to 32.7 percent](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) from 33.7 percent in July 2026 and 33.3 percent in August 2025. Of the [5.95 million employed youth, around 587 thousand were underemployed](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), a youth underemployment rate of 9.9 percent.

## How Does the Survey Count Someone as Unemployed?

The definitions matter for reading these counts. Survey operations for the August round [ran for 18 days from 08 to 28 August 2026 and covered 11,182 eligible sample households](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), and the reference period is the past seven days before the interviewer's visit.

You count as employed if you are [15 years old and over as of your last birthday](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) and, during the reference period, are either [at work, doing any work even for one hour for pay or profit, or working without pay on the farm or business enterprise operated by a member of the same household related by blood, marriage, or adoption](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), or [with a job but not at work because of temporary illness or injury, vacation, or other reasons](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf). People who [expect to report for work or to start the operation of a farm or business enterprise within two weeks](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) from the date of the enumerator's visit are also considered employed. Around [59 thousand employed persons, or 0.12 percent of the total employed population, worked for exactly one hour](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) in a week in August 2026.

To count as unemployed, a person must be [15 years old and over as of their last birthday](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) and, during the reference period, be [without work](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf) and [currently available for work](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), meaning available and willing to take up paid work or self-employment during the reference period or within two weeks after the interview date. They must also either be [seeking work, having taken specific steps to look for a job or establish a business](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), or be [not seeking work for one of five reasons](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), which are being fatigued or believing no work is available, awaiting results of a previous job application, temporary illness or disability, bad weather, or waiting for rehire or job recall. Overseas workers sit outside the count, because [Overseas Filipino Workers are not considered part of the labor force in the Philippines](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Technical%20Notes%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf).

## Where Can Filipino Job Seekers Look for Work Now?

The government's own job board [is free to use](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/). [PhilJobNet](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/) is a facility of the [Department of Labor and Employment](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/) with a database maintained by the [Bureau of Local Employment](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/), and jobseekers can [create an account for free](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/) to search openings, run job matching, get vacancy lists with the employer's contact details and receive job invitations from accredited employers.

As part of [DOLE's primary thrust to protect jobseekers against fraud, deceit, and illegal recruitment](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/), only accredited employers may post vacancies, and the public may browse or search the list of accredited employers online.

[PhilJobNet's current vacancies page](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/job-vacancies/) showed 4,361 job openings when we checked it on 10/7/2026, the date on its newest listings, with filters for PWDs, displaced workers, high school graduates and government jobs. Listings posted on 10/7/2026 include a [tile setter and a painter in the City of Manila](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/job-vacancies/), with salary not specified, and a [delivery driver role in Santa Margarita, Samar paying ₱17,600.00](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/job-vacancies/) that asks for a high school graduate and is listed as permanent. These are single listings and not a guide to typical pay.

[TESDA](https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/25) assesses and certifies the competencies of middle-level skilled workers through the Philippine TVET Competency Assessment and Certification System, and the [assessment process seeks to determine whether the graduate or worker can perform to the standards expected in the workplace](https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/25) based on the defined competency standards. [Certification is provided to those who meet the competency standards](https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/25). A National Certificate (NC) or Certificate of Competency (COC) has [general requirements and procedures for three routes, a new applicant, a renewal, or a lost or damaged certificate](https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/25). You can also find [accredited assessment centers and a Registry of Certified Workers](https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/25), along with registries of accredited trainers and assessors.

## What Comes Next for Hiring Into the Holidays?

The statistics agency [expects employment to pick up toward the end of the year as businesses hire more seasonal workers ahead of the Christmas period](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/), with [longer retail business hours and heightened commercial activity](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs) during the final quarter also part of that outlook.

There are risks too. [Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs) chief economist Michael Ricafort linked the higher year-on-year unemployment to [slower overall economic growth amid geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and reduced government infrastructure spending following anomalies involving flood-control projects](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs). He said catch-up infrastructure spending and holiday activity [could support seasonal job creation, although an anticipated super El Niño drought poses an offsetting risk to agricultural production and prices](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs).

Mapa said workers displaced from farms during previous dry spells [typically shifted to the construction and retail trade sectors](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs), and the agency is tracking regional labor movements across agriculture, forestry and fishing through its October survey round.

## What This Means for Filipino Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

Our take is that August was a relief month, not a recovery. The rate fell to [5.3 percent from 6.0 percent](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), yet it is still above the 3.9 percent of a year earlier, and the monthly gains leaned on [farm and construction work](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs). The steadier signal is in the annual list, where [education, accommodation and food services](https://tribune.net.ph/2026/10/07/277m-filipinos-jobless-as-unemployment-falls-to-53) gained workers, while factory employment shrank.

Here is what we would do:

- **Follow the annual gainers, not only the monthly spike.** Teachers, hotel and restaurant staff, drivers and health workers sit in sub-sectors that were [up from a year ago](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), which is a better guide than one month's rise in farm employment.
- **Factory workers, widen the search.** Manufacturing employment fell to [3.16 million in August](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/), so list the skills you already have, such as machine work, quality checks and safety routines, the way a [manufacturing resume](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/manufacturing-resume-skills) would, and use them for logistics and warehouse roles.
- **Get your skills certified.** A TESDA NC or COC [is provided to those who meet the competency standards](https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/25), so read the [general requirements and procedures for new applicants](https://www.tesda.gov.ph/About/TESDA/25) before you apply.
- **Use the free government board and check the employer.** Search [PhilJobNet's vacancy listings](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/job-vacancies/), and check any employer on PhilJobNet's [online list of accredited employers](https://philjobnet.gov.ph/).
- **Plan for holiday hiring now.** The agency [expects seasonal hiring ahead of the Christmas period](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/), so have a short CV ready for retail and food service. Large customer service drives, such as the September one in our story on [TP's Makati job fair](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/tp-philippines-10000-jobs-job-fair-september-28), are another route for first-time applicants without BPO experience.
- **If you were paid by the hour and lost hours to floods, look for a second source of work.** Underemployment was still [11.9 percent in August](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), so many workers are in the same position.

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## People Also Asked

### Q: What is the Philippine unemployment rate for August 2026?

A: The unemployment rate [decreased to 5.3 percent in August 2026 from 6.0 percent in July](https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/iesd/Press%20Release%20for%20Aug%202026%20LFS.pdf), but it remained higher than the 3.9 percent of August 2025, with 2.77 million people unemployed.

### Q: Which sectors added the most workers in August?

A: Between July and August, [agriculture and forestry added around 847,000 workers and construction added another 390,000 jobs](https://www.rappler.com/business/unemployment-rate-philippines-august-2026/), while wholesale and retail trade gained 227,000.

### Q: Why were working hours lower in August?

A: Workers pointed to bad weather, and [about 3.7 million workers named inclement weather as the primary reason for working fewer than 40 hours](https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/07/august-unemployment-eases-from-post-pandemic-high-as-agriculture-construction-add-jobs), as average hours fell to 39.2 a week.

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