At 6.25%, Central Visayas among PH regions with highest jobless rates

Local

CENTRAL Visayas is among the regions with the highest jobless rates in the country as unemployment outpaces the national average, latest government data showed.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the unemployment rate in the region climbed to 6.25 percent in July 2026, from 4.55 percent recorded in April.

The current figures, which is equivalent to roughly 189,000 unemployed individuals, surpassed that of the national average at 6.01 percent.

In fact, Central Visayas recorded the fourth-highest unemployment rate among the country’s regions, behind the National Capital Region at 8.23 percent, Bicol Region at 8.02 percent and Ilocos Region at 6.97 percent.

Correspondingly, Central Visayas’ employment rate fell to 93.75 percent in July from 95.45 percent in April. It was also slightly lower than the 93.92 percent recorded in July 2025.

Despite the rise in unemployment, the region posted a significant improvement in underemployment, or the proportion of employed people who wanted additional hours of work, another job or a new job with longer working hours.

Central Visayas’ underemployment rate plunged to 4.05 percent in July, down from 8.95 percent in April, 9.96 percent in January and 12.14 percent in July 2025.

It was also significantly below the national underemployment rate of 12.86 percent.

Based on PSA figures, Central Visayas had an estimated 4.98 million people aged 15 and older in July.

Its labor force participation rate, however, dropped to 60.79 percent from 63.01 percent in April.

This translates to roughly 3.03 million people who were either employed or actively looking for work.(RBE)