The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is raising the alarm over the growing number of unemployed Filipino college graduates.
CHED said the June 2025 Labor Force Survey from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showed a 2.6% jump in jobless college grads — from 35.6% in December 2024 to over 38% this June.
"This is troubling. Our most educated citizens — those who invested years and resources into higher education — are struggling to find work," said CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis.
While the overall unemployment rate in June 2025 dropped to 3.7% — the lowest since December 2025 — Agrupis said the numbers hide a bigger problem. College grads actually have higher joblessness rates than those with less education, according to a Social Weather Survey: College grads: 22.1% jobless Junior high grads: 20.8% Elementary grads: 20.3% Did not finish elementary: 8.7%
Compared to other ASEAN countries, the Philippines still lags behind Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand in both unemployment rates and matching workers’ skills to industry needs.
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