18 percent of unemployed Pinoys are college graduates – NSO

MANILA, Philippines - At least 18 percent of unemployed in the country today are college graduates, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The NSO has reported that in January 2013 alone, 608,000 people were added to the labor force. However, the number of employed increased only by 606,000, meaning another 2,000 were added to the ranks of the unemployed.

Speaking at a recent forum organized by the Ayala Foundation Inc. at the Ayala Museum in Makati City, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the figures point to a disturbing high rate of unemployment among college graduates.

“The rate of unemployment is very high among college graduates, which partly reflects a mismatch between what is produced by schools and what is required by the market. This also shows that there is insufficient conversation between the schools and the firms,” Balisacan, who is also director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said.

He said stronger support from the private sector is needed in the creation of sustainable jobs to improve the lives of Filipinos.

The government admits that stronger coordination with academe and the private business community will help the country address the unemployment problem, he added.

The NEDA director general said the government is focused on providing a catalytic mechanism for the private sector to create more jobs. This is because government resources are limited, with competing demands from various sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, and national security, among others. 

Balisacan said government actions should not substitute for the actions of the private sector. The state should not attempt to solve the unemployment problem with a band-aid solution to create jobs, he said. 

He added the government is looking into expanding employment opportunities in several priority sectors, including agribusiness, manufacturing, tourism, information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO), housing, infrastructure, and logistics.

“These opportunities can be enhanced by increasing the employability of new job entrants through proper and sufficient training. But higher education institutions must also be encouraged to foster tie-ups with businesses and industries, aside from the government,” Balisacan said.