BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Despite a localized economic slowdown that pinched retail and mining operations, the mountainous Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) emerged as the country’s top job-generating hub. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reveals that the indigenous Filipino-dominated region logged the highest employment rate across the entire archipelago for the year 2025.
The baseline findings were officially presented by regional planners during an economic forum on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
The PSA data showcases a unique labor dynamic. While the Cordillera successfully maintained the highest job placement density in the country, its overarching labor pool actually contracted due to selective market corrections:
[2025 Economic & Industry Slowdown] ──► Triggers Downsizing in Retail & Mining Sectors │ ▼ (The Labor Force Shift)[Contraction of Active Pool] ◄── Total Labor Force Drops by 10,000 Workers
According to Aldrin Federico Bahit Jr., the PSA’s chief statistician for the region, CAR’s total Labor Force Participation Rate dropped to 832,000 (63.8%) in 2025, falling down from the 842,000 (65%) benchmark maintained throughout 2024.
Even with fewer people actively entering the job market, those who looked for work in the Cordillera were overwhelmingly successful. The region outpaced all other highly populated industrial sectors across the Philippines:
| National Rank | Geographic Region | 2025 Total Employment Rate | Active Worker Count |
| 1 | Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) | 97.3% | 810,000 |
| 2 | Davao Region (Region XI) | 97.1% | Varying pool grids |
| 3 | Cagayan Valley (Region II) | 96.9% | Varying pool grids |
Because CAR locked down the highest overall employment rate, it naturally maintained the lowest unemployment profile in the nation. However, the data points to subtle undercurrents of local vulnerability:
[ VOLATILE LABOR SUB-METRICS ]
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┌────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ MINIMAL UNEMPLOYMENT CREEP ] [ INDUSTRY CONTRACTION AREAS ]
• Unemployment settled at a low **2.7%**, though total jobless • Retail and small-scale mining sectors directly shed
individuals crept up slightly by 2,000 people. thousands of operational roles.
• Total unemployed individuals rose to **23,000** in 2025 • Displaced personnel were mostly absorbed by expanding
compared to 21,000 in 2024. agricultural networks and local eco-tourism infrastructure.
The underlying structural shift highlights that while the regional economy is highly resilient and excels at keeping its population working, the quality of employment remains highly dependent on seasonal industries. Local labor groups, observing the forum, noted that the drop in participation emphasizes a persistent need for sustainable industrial diversification, higher baseload wages, and localized safety nets to protect workers from sudden corporate contractions in the mining and retail supply chains.