Aklan workers fare better than regional counterparts as underemployment remains low

Aklan recorded a relatively low underemployment rate of 6.5% in 2025, significantly below the national and Western Visayas averages, as more workers in the region sought additional employment to supplement their income.

The preliminary results of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2025 Annual Provincial Labor Market Statistics showed that only 6.5% of employed Aklanons wanted additional working hours in their existing jobs, another job, or a new job with longer working hours.

This was considerably lower than the national underemployment rate of 11.9% in 2024 and Western Visayas’ 17.2% in 2025.

The regional figure marked a sharp increase from 9.1% in 2024, when Western Visayas was still below the national average of 11.9%.

The increase came as the number of underemployed workers in the region rose from 235,000 in 2024 to 364,000 in 2025, according to PSA data.

Aklan’s employment figures were also favorable, with 96.8% of its labor force employed in 2025, higher than Western Visayas’ 96.1% and the national rate of 96.2% in 2024.

The province had 294,007 people in its labor force, of whom 284,500 were employed.

PSA data previously showed that Aklan’s underemployment rate fell from 14% in 2022 to 6.5% in 2023. The same rate was recorded in 2025, although the absence of a verified 2024 provincial figure makes it difficult to establish how the indicator moved in the intervening year.

While the figures point to relatively favorable employment conditions, underemployment data alone does not establish whether workers are earning enough or receiving competitive wages.