CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Central Luzon continues to benefit from a growing working-age population, presenting significant opportunities to accelerate regional economic growth. However, ensuring that more women and young people participate meaningfully in the labor force remains a critical challenge in realizing the region’s demographic dividend.
Based on the preliminary results of the 2025 Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Central Luzon recorded 9.43 million persons aged 15 years and over in 2025, an increase from 9.32 million in 2024. Of this number, nearly 5.98 million were economically active and part of the labor force. Employment remained high at 96.7 percent, translating to approximately 5.78 million employed individuals across the region. However, around 198,000 individuals remained unemployed, while an estimated 519,000 workers were underemployed, indicating that many workers continue to seek additional work hours or better employment opportunities.
“The region’s labor market remains resilient, but the challenge is no longer simply creating jobs. We must ensure that jobs are productive, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of our population, particularly women and young people,” said CPD Regional Director Lourdes Nacionales.
The data show that while labor force participation in Central Luzon remained relatively stable at 63.4 percent, female labor force participation continued to lag behind that of males. In 2025, only 52.1 percent of women aged 15 years and over participated in the labor force, compared with 74.6 percent of men.
This persistent gender gap reflects concerns identified in the Regional Population and Development Plan of Action (RPD-POA) 2023–2028, which recognizes the unequal burden of caregiving and domestic responsibilities as barriers to women’s economic participation.
“Many women continue to balance work opportunities with childcare and household responsibilities. Addressing these barriers is essential not only for gender equality but also for maximizing the region’s human capital,” Director Nacionales added.
To address this concern, the Regional Statistics Committee on Population and Development (RSC POPDEV) and the Regional Development Council (RDC) have supported initiatives promoting the establishment of Child-Minding Corners in local government units and workplaces. These facilities aim to provide safe and accessible childcare support for working parents, particularly mothers, enabling them to participate more actively in economic activities. While the initiative has gained regional support, information on the extent of its implementation across local government units remains unavailable, as monitoring data have yet to be consolidated.
Youth employment likewise remains an important concern. Although youth unemployment in Central Luzon slightly increased from 9.7 percent in 2024 to 10.9 percent in 2025, the region continues to recognize young people as vital contributors to future economic growth. Approximately 600,000 youth were employed in 2025, while around 74,000 remained unemployed.
The Regional Population and Development Plan of Action highlights the need to strengthen investments in education, skills development, career guidance, and adolescent health and development programs to ensure that young people are equipped for productive employment and successful transitions into adulthood.
Meanwhile, the services sector continued to dominate regional employment, accounting for 65.9 percent of all employed persons, followed by industry at 24.0 percent and agriculture at 10.1 percent. Service and sales workers comprised the largest occupational group in the region, reflecting Central Luzon’s growing service-oriented economy.
The Commission on Population and Development Region III emphasized that realizing the region’s demographic dividend requires sustained investments in human capital throughout the life course.
“Population becomes an asset when people are healthy, educated, skilled, and provided with opportunities to participate productively in society. As outlined in our RPD-POA, investments in reproductive health, adolescent development, women’s empowerment, lifelong learning, and decent employment are investments in the future competitiveness and prosperity of Central Luzon,” Director Nacionales stressed.
CPD Region III calls on local government units, national government agencies, private-sector partners, and civil society organizations to strengthen collaborative efforts that support employment generation, youth development, family-friendly workplaces, and gender-responsive policies to ensure that every resident of Central Luzon can contribute to and benefit from the region’s growth.