Preliminary results of the 2025 Labor Force Survey in Catanduanes show that the unemployment rate in the province improved a bit to 92.2 percent in 2025, with 58 percent of the 183,000 population 15 years old and over in the labor force.
In the 2025 Annual Provincial Labor Market Statistics released by the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) last week, the number of Catandunganons who were in the labor force was 105,000 out of the estimated 183,000 people 15 years old and over.
This translates to a labor force participation rate (LFPR) of 57.7 percent, meaning 58 in every 100 Catandunganons 15 years old and over who were either employed or unemployed.
Table 1. Catanduanes Population 15 years old and over, Total Persons in the Labor Force: 2024f and 2025p
| CATANDUANES | 2024 | 2025 |
| Population 15 years old and over | 182 thousand | 183 thousand |
| Total Persons in the Labor Force | 102 thousand | 105 thousand |
Employment rate recovers, now at 92.2%
In the same year, the total number of employed persons was estimated at 97,000 or 92.2 percent Catandunganons who were at work or with a job, out of 105,000 in the labor force.
This represented an increase of 0.3 percent from the 91.9 percent employment rate in 2024.
This labor statistic was at 93.2 percent in 2021 before dropping to 92.3 percent in 2022, bouncing back to 93.1 percent in 2023 and then decreasing to 91.9 percent in 2024 before this latest recovery.
Figure 1. Catanduanes Employment Rate and Employed Population: 2021 to 2025
Unemployment rate listed at 7.8%
From 2021 to 2025, Catanduanes also witnessed fluctuations in its unemployment rate and corresponding unemployed population.
In 2021, the unemployment rate stood at 6.8 percent with 7,487 individuals unemployed. It increased to 7.7 percent in 2022 resulting in 8,738 unemployed individuals. However, there was a decrease to 6.9 percent in 2023, representing 7,434 unemployed individuals, the unemployment rate rose again in 2024 to 8.1 percent, with 8,316 individuals unable to secure employment. Unemployment rate slightly decrease again to 7.8 percent in 2025 with 8,220 individuals. (Table 2)
Table 2. Catanduanes Unemployment Rate and Unemployed Population: 2021-2025
| YEAR | Unemployment Rate | Unemployed Population |
| 2025 | 7.8% | 8,220 |
| 2024 | 8.1% | 8.316 |
| 2023 | 6.9% | 7.434 |
| 2022 | 7.7% | 8.738 |
| 2021 | 6.8% | 7.847 |
Underemployment rate reaches five-year high
On the other hand, the underemployment rate in 2025 was estimated at 28.2 percent, the highest in the last five years.
According to the PSA, employed persons who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours are considered underemployed.
The number of underemployed persons was estimated at 27,000 in 2025, representing 28.2 percent of the total 97,254 employed Catandunganons, the PSA Catanduanes Statistical Field Office reported.
Figure 3. Catanduanes Underemployment Rate and Underemployed Population: 2021 to 2025
The Labor Force Survey (LFS) is a nationwide monthly survey of households conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to gather data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population.
The conduct of monthly labor force survey starting in 2018 led to the generation of the Provincial Labor Force data on employment, unemployment, underemployment and labor force participation rate.