Philippines – The burden of young workers: unemployment, unlivable wages

We hereby share an article published by Philippine Revolution Web Central.

Pangolin, 22, graduated with a degree in BA Communications from a private university in Southern Tagalog in July. She studied hard for four years to become a photojournalist. Five months after marching to receive her diploma, she remains unemployed. To make ends meet, she takes on “commissioned” jobs and works twice a week as a “chat assistant” for a company’s website. She shoulders the expenses for internet, laptop, and electric bills.

She earns only ₱300-₱600 [Editor’s note: Philippine Peso, the currency of the country.] per commission and up to ₱2,000 as a chat assistant, depending on the products she sold. Her work-from-home arrangement is irregular and pays no benefits, or security.

Pangolin’s situation is common among young workers. In July, 1.02 million or 43% of the total number of unemployed were youth, aged 15-24, according to the reactionary state’s doctored statistics. During the same month, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported a 14.8% youth unemployment rate, compared to the national average of 4.7%. Meanwhile, 12.1% of youth were underemployed during the same period.

The youth unemployment rate has for decades been higher than the national average because no industries create enough jobs to absorb them. Newly created jobs in the Philippines, if any, are low-quality and temporary. Year after year, their numbers add to the massive army of the unemployed.

The youth unemployment rate remains high despite the ever decreasing number of youth included in the labor force. In the past 15 years (since 2009), the number of Filipinos aged 15-24 included in the country’s labor force dropped to 34.4% (from 45%). Students or those in training are often declared not counted in the labor force. However, data shows that nearly 3 million of those not counted in the labor force are in the NEET (not in education, employment, or training) category. In 2022, almost 4 million youth were in this category. Many of them come from the poorest families, where 25% of youth are not in school and have no job to apply for. In 2018, one in two young women who finished high school were NEET. They are vulnerable to long-term unemployment and extreme poverty.

Meanwhile, most young workers are in so-called elementary occupations (40%) or simple and routine jobs that require physical labor and minimal training. This is despite the supposed increase in the educational attainment of many young people due to the implementation of K-12.

One such young person is Ian, 22, from Sorsogon, who graduated from K-12 in 2020. He qualified for the National Certificate Level 1 in Automotive Servicing from TESDA. But four years after graduation, becoming a mechanic in a big autoshop remains just a dream. Due to lack of opportunities, he works in a factory making ₱520 per day, a contractual with no security and benefits.

“I earn just enough for three meals a day (₱150) and a return fare (₱50),” he said. “After deducting rent and water bills, I have nothing left to send to my family.” Had he become a mechanic as per his training, he could have earned up to ₱1,000 per day.

The lack of job opportunities is also the problem of Shein, who graduated with a degree in architecture in October from a public university in Metro Manila. To earn a living, she organizes sales gatherings for her sticker and art creations.

As her degree suggests, she is qualified as a junior architect or architectural apprentice with an entry-level salary of ₱20,000-₱22,000 per month. She estimates this amount sufficient to live independently. “I have no family to support, but I also want to contribute allowance for my sibling’s studies,” she said.