EMPLOYMENT, UNDER EMPLOYMENT RATES CITED: Bicol posts low labor force figures

By Bobby Q. Labalan

Sorsogon City --- Bicol’s labor force figures remained dismal in 2025 as its participation rate further dipped to just 59 percent compared to its 2024 level at 59.3 percent keeping it at the bottom of the ladder as was in the previous year.

In a press conference held May 11 at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) office, Regional Director Cynthia Perdiz said that the region’s employment rate increased slightly in 2025 at 95.3 percent equivalent to 2.39 million individuals compared to the 94.8 percent in 2024 equivalent to 2.36 million workers or an increase of only 30,000 which put the region at fourth lowest.

Inversely, the unemployment figure went down to 4.7 percent in 2025 as against the 5.2 percent in 2024 or from 129,000 down to 119,000 representing a decrease of around 10,000 unemployed individuals which also put Bicol at the fourth top spot, the data showed.

Meanwhile, underemployment figures put Bicol at top third spot as it increased to 19.9 percent from 19.6 percent a year prior. PSA defines underemployment as those employed individuals who express a desire to have additional hours of work in their current job, an additional job or a new job with longer working hours.

Regionwide, Masbate registered the highest employment rate at 95.3 percent and lowest unemployment rate at 3.6 percent while Camarines Norte logged the lowest at 91.9 percent employment rate and highest unemployment rate at 8.1 percent, Perdiz revealed.

Three provinces recorded unemployment rates lower than the regional level of 4.7 percent and these were Camarines Sur with 4.5 percent, Albay with 3.7 percent and Masbate with 3.6 percent while Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Camarines Norte recorded higheert unemployment rate.

Sorsogon recorded the highest underemployment rate at 31.8 percent and Albay had the lowest at only 8.1 percent.

Perdiz said that though there was a slight increase in employment year-on-year but underemployment remained high as the employment available might be those considered as seasonal or menial jobs with shorter duration.

Meanwhile, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) regional office presented some perceived solutions to the dismal labor situation but mostly anchored on motherhood assumptions.

It would be recalled that Bicol’s gross regional domestic product was also the lowest nationwide in 2025.