MANILA, Philippines — Philippine unemployment soared to a pandemic-era high of 5.8 percent in January, with 2.96 million Filipinos out of work. The number went up from 2.26 million in December, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

The joblessness rate also rose from the 4.4 percent recorded in December, marking the highest level since June 2022 when it stood at 6.03 percent.

This came as the labor force participation rate slipped to 62.3 percent, equivalent to 50.89 million Filipinos. This was 64.4 percent or 51.69 million in December.

Measures of job quality also deteriorated. About 6.35 million employed Filipinos said they were seeking additional work or longer hours to boost their income. This was a sharp increase from 3.93 million in December.