MANAGERS averaged daily pay of P1,300 in January, down from P1,356 a year earlier, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Armed forces occupations were the second highest-paying jobs, with an average daily wage of P1,174 during the period, up from P1,095 a year earlier, according to the PSA’s Labor Force Survey released on Thursday.

Professionals earned daily basic pay of P1,173, followed by technicians and associate professionals with P855.

Clerical support workers earned P739 per day.

Meanwhile, the occupations with the lowest daily basic pay were the following: Elementary occupations (P416); Skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers (P418); Service and sales workers (P531); Plant and machine operators and assemblers (P572); and craft and related trades workers (P573).

The agriculture and forestry sector was the second largest employer in January, making up 21.1% of the labor force, or about 10.24 million workers, the PSA said. Employment in the sector grew by 883,000 in January compared to a year earlier.

“Wages in agriculture are very low since wage orders discount the labor of farm workers on the argument that they live in rural areas where the cost of living is supposed to be cheaper,” University of the Philippines Diliman School of Labor and Industrial Relations Assistant Professor Benjamin B. Velasco told BusinessWorld via Messenger chat.

“Further, productivity is low in agriculture since it is not modernized. So, farm workers end up with depressed wages,” he added, noting this is why underemployment in the sector is also high.

According to PSA Assistant Secretary Divina Gracia L. Del Prado, the industry accounted for 44.5% of total underemployment — defined as those looking for additional work or hours.

The unemployment rate in January fell to 4.3% from 4.5% a year earlier, the PSA reported.

There were about 2.16 million jobless in the first month of the year, unchanged from a year earlier but higher than the 1.63 million in December.

January unemployment was the highest since July 2024, when the indicator was at 4.7%.

Underemployment was 13.3% in January, against 13.6% a year earlier and 10.9% in December.

About 48.49 million Filipinos had jobs in January, against 45.90 million a year earlier and 50.19 million in December. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana