More Western Visayans joining the workforce, but unemployment ticks up

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

More residents of Western Visayas are entering the labor market at the start of 2026, but the region’s latest employment figures reveal a more complicated picture beneath the headline gains, as unemployment continues to climb and a significant portion of workers remain hungry for more hours.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Regional Statistical Services Office VI (PSA-RSSO VI), the region’s Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) reached 62.9 percent in January 2026 — the highest in three consecutive reference periods.

The figure edged up 0.2 percentage points from the 62.7 percent recorded in October 2025, and surpassed the 62.8 percent posted in January 2025.

In absolute numbers, the labor force in Western Visayas swelled to an estimated 2.21 million individuals during the period — up by approximately 47,000 from October 2025’s 2.16 million, and 56,000 more than the 2.15 million counted in January of last year.

The uptick comes as the region’s working-age population — those 15 years and older — reached 3.51 million, reflecting steady demographic growth.

The rising participation, however, has not been matched by proportional employment gains. The region’s employment rate slipped slightly to 94.5 percent in January 2026, down 0.1 percentage point from October 2025’s 94.6 percent and a notable 1.3 percentage points below January 2025’s 95.8 percent.

In raw terms, approximately 2.09 million individuals were employed in January 2026 — more in absolute number than either prior reference period (2.05 million in October 2025 and 2.06 million in January 2025) — but the rate decline signals that the labor force is growing faster than available jobs can absorb new entrants.

The data were released on May 4, 2026 as Special Release No. 2026-SR18 by the PSA-RSSO VI. The January 2026 figures are preliminary and subject to revision.

UNEMPLOYMENT AT A 3-PERIOD HIGH

Most striking is the trajectory of unemployment. The region’s unemployment rate stood at 5.5 percent in January 2026, rising 0.1 percentage point from October 2025’s 5.4 percent and climbing a full 1.3 percentage points from the 4.2 percent recorded in January 2025.

The number of unemployed individuals in Western Visayas was estimated at 122,000 — up from 116,000 in October 2025 and considerably higher than the 91,000 recorded a year ago. The January-to-January comparison represents a 34 percent increase in the number of jobless residents over 12 months.

January figures typically reflect the post-holiday labor market, when seasonal employment from the Christmas and New Year period winds down and many workers return to active job searching — a pattern consistent with the slight quarter-on-quarter uptick seen between October 2025 and January 2026.

For workers who do have jobs, the desire for more remains widespread. The underemployment rate was recorded at 17.3 percent in January 2026, meaning roughly one in six employed workers wanted additional hours, an extra job, or a position with longer working hours.

This represents a rise of 1.0 percentage point from October 2025’s 16.3 percent, though it marks an improvement of 1.3 percentage points from January 2025’s 18.6 percent — suggesting a gradual year-on-year easing in work-hour scarcity, even as the short-term trend has reversed.

The number of underemployed individuals was estimated at around 360,000 — up from 334,000 in October 2025, but down from 383,000 in January 2025.

A Region at a Labor Market Crossroads

Taken together, the data from PSA’s January 2026 Labor Force Survey paints a picture of a region where labor market engagement is growing, but where the quality and sufficiency of employment have yet to fully keep pace.

More Western Visayans are willing and available to work — a positive signal for economic dynamism.

Yet with unemployment at its highest in the three reference periods surveyed and underemployment affecting more than 360,000 workers, the challenge for regional labor authorities lies not just in drawing people into the workforce, but in ensuring those workers can find stable, full-time, and adequately compensating employment.