CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Northern Mindanao posted a 96.3 percent employment rate in 2025, while labor force participation also increased, according to preliminary results of the 2025
Labor Force Survey presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-10 on May 20

PSA data showed that the region’s labor force population among individuals aged 15 years old
and over increased to 3.68 million in 2025 from 3.64 million in 2024.
Of the total labor force, about 2.29 million individuals were employed, while about 87,000 were
unemployed. Underemployed individuals reached 393,000, or 17.1 percent.
PSA-10 Regional Director Janeth C. Aves said the data indicate a positive labor market
condition in Northern Mindanao, particularly as labor force participation continued to rise while
unemployment remained low.
“When we evaluate the labor market or labor statistics, we are not only looking into the labor
force participation rate. If taas atong labor force participation rate, we also need to check our
unemployment rate. Kung taas atong labor force participation rate and ubos ang unemployment
rate, meaning strong atong labor market,” Aves said.
(If our labor force participation rate is high, we also need to check our unemployment rate. If our
labor force participation rate is high and our unemployment rate is low, it means that our labor
market is strong.)
Among provinces and highly urbanized cities, Misamis Oriental posted the highest labor force
participation rate at 72.3 percent, while Iligan City recorded the lowest at 54.8 percent.
Misamis Oriental also registered the highest employment rate at 97.4 percent, while Iligan City
posted the lowest at 93.9 percent.
Bukidnon recorded the highest underemployment rate in the region.
By sex, males posted a 96.6 percent employment rate compared with 96 percent among females.
The male unemployment rate stood at 3.4 percent, while the female unemployment rate reached
4.9 percent.
For underemployment, males posted 19.5 percent compared with 13.5 percent among females.
The services sector remained the region’s top source of employment, accounting for 56.2
percent, or around 1.29 million workers. Agriculture followed with 29.4 percent, or 675,000
workers, while the industry sector accounted for 14.4 percent, or 330,000 workers.
Aves said underemployment remains common in agriculture-related work due to the seasonal
nature of jobs in the sector.
She also identified industries that contributed to the increase in employment in 2025.
“In terms sa increasing employment [rate], we have the top three major industries with the
largest increase in employment. First is education, from 61,000 to 78,000. On fishing and
aquaculture, nag-increase siya by 16,000; and public administration and defense by 13,000,”
Aves said.
(In terms of the increasing employment rate, the top three major industries with the largest
increase in employment were education, which increased from 61,000 to 78,000; fishing and
aquaculture, which increased by 16,000; and public administration and defense, which increased
by 13,000.)
The PSA data also showed that wage and salary workers comprised the largest share of
employed persons at 60.5 percent, or around 1.39 million workers.
Self-employed individuals without paid employees accounted for 29.8 percent, or 683,000
workers, while unpaid family workers reached 8.4 percent, or 193,000 workers. Employers in
family-operated farms or businesses accounted for 1.3 percent, or 29,000 workers.
By occupation group, elementary occupations accounted for the largest share at 33.2 percent,
followed by service and sales workers at 21.5 percent and skilled agricultural, forestry, and
fishery workers at 14.2 percent.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-10 Technical Support and Services Division
Chief Atheneus A. Vasallo said PSA labor data guide the agency in evaluating employment
programs and labor interventions in the region.
He said the lower unemployment rate indicates that government employment initiatives
contributed to labor market performance in 2025.
Vasallo also said workers hired through manpower providers remain protected under labor laws
and standards.
“It is a misconception that if they are employed by a manpower provider, they are not secured
with their employment, which is not true in the sense that even if they are employed by a
manpower provider, they are still covered by the protection of all labor standards and security of
tenure,” Vasallo said.
He added that the government continues to coordinate with educational institutions, including the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, to align workforce skills with labor
market demand.
Vasallo said career guidance activities, job fairs, and skills training programs continue across
Northern Mindanao to help job seekers identify employment opportunities.
He also noted that many applicants in regional job fairs are hired on the spot, while vacancies
remain available in various sectors.
The Labor Force Survey is one of the PSA’s major statistical activities used to generate
employment, unemployment, and underemployment data for government planning and policy
formulation. (IJAO/PIA-10)