DAVAO Region’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.5 percent in April 2026, from 4.8 percent recorded in January 2026, according to the preliminary Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority Region-Davao Region (PSA-Davao) on August 18.
This figure represents about 64,000 unemployed individuals in the region in April 2026, significantly lower than the 121,000 reported in January, though slightly higher than the 59,000 recorded in April 2025.
PSA-Davao reported that the region’s overall employment rate reached 97.5 percent, translating to an estimated 2.51 million employed residents out of a 2.58 million total labor force. This reflects sustained employment growth compared to 2.39 million employed in January 2026 and 2.41 million in April 2025.
The initial spike in unemployment seen in January 2026 (4.8 percent) reflected temporary post-holiday labor adjustments and seasonal displacement in agricultural production following year-end harvests, the report states.
The agency's data further indicates a growing workforce, with the labor force participation rate (LFPR) among individuals aged 15 years old and over rising to 64.5 percent in April 2026—up from 63.6 percent in April 2025 and 63.1 percent in January 2026.
Underemployment, which measures employed workers seeking additional work hours or an additional job, also posted a notable decline to 5.6 percent (141,000 individuals) in April 2026, down from 10.9 percent in January 2026.
The April figure gives Davao Region the lowest underemployment rate in the country, standing 9.6 percentage points below the national average of 15.2 percent.
Meanwhile, PSA-Davao has partnered with local Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs), academic institutions, and regional agencies to deploy mobile registration teams during local job fairs.
These on-site setups allow job seekers and fresh graduates to register for National IDs, issue digital IDs, and update vital records directly at hiring venues to speed up pre-employment compliance. GRS
