More college graduates struggling to find work, CHED warns

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UNEMPLOYMENT among Filipino college graduates jumped by 2.6 percentage points in just six months, signaling a deepening disconnect between higher education and the country’s labor needs, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) reported.

CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said the June 2025 Labor Force Survey of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recorded an increase from 35.6 percent in December 2024, highlighting challenges faced by degree holders despite years of study and financial investment.

According to Agrupis, the problem goes beyond unemployment figures. Even when vacancies exist, many graduates lack the skills required by employers, leaving industries short of the talent they need. She cited DOLE’s nationwide job fairs in January 2025 where only 3,364 out of 25,876 job seekers were hired, most in low-skilled positions that did not require a college degree.

While the Philippine Statistics Authority reported overall unemployment at 3.7 percent in June, the lowest since December 2025, Agrupis said this average masks deeper structural issues in the labor market.

Data from the December 2023 Social Weather Survey showed adult joblessness was highest among college graduates at 22.1 percent, higher than the 20.8 percent among junior high graduates, 20.3 percent among elementary graduates, and 8.7 percent among those without elementary education.

In the ASEAN region, the Philippines reduced unemployment from 4.4 percent in 2023 to 3.8 percent in 2024, surpassing Indonesia. However, the country still lags behind Malaysia at 3.3 percent, Vietnam at 2.3 percent, Singapore at 1.9 percent, and Thailand at 1.1 percent.

Agrupis said these figures show that while progress is being made, other countries have achieved both lower unemployment and better alignment between workforce skills and job requirements.

“Our employment figures reflect not just jobs filled, but meaningful and productive work,” Agrupis said in a Philstar report. “This is precisely why CHED is advancing reforms that place innovation and equity at the core of Philippine higher education.”

She also recalled that President Marcos, in his 4th State of the Nation Address, reaffirmed education as a key pillar of his administration and stressed the need to align the education system with the demands of a changing world.

Agrupis said CHED takes that directive seriously, especially in the face of persistent unemployment and the mismatch between graduates’ skills and industry needs.(MyTVCebu)