DOLE: 4 M Pinoy youths unemployed, out of school

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star), Oct 10, 2017

MANILA, Philippines — Over four million Filipino youths are not studying, are unemployed and face bleak job opportunities, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

Data from DOLE’s Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) showed that as of July this year, 4.2 million or 21.7 percent of the 19.84 million youths neither go to school nor hold jobs.

According to DOLE, 3.14 million or 73 percent of the youth classified under “not in education and employment” (NEE) status were economically inactive or not in the labor force.

The agency defined NEE as those who lack access to education or training and labor market due to poverty, lack of qualification and health issues.

Young women with low level of education and youth from low-income households are at a higher risk of becoming NEE.

Slow school-to-work transition, DOLE said, can also lead to NEE.

Compared to last year’s data, DOLE said, there has been a slight improvement in the number of NEE youth.

“There is a minimal reduction from last year’s total of 4.35 million NEE,” DOLE said, adding that economically inactive NEE also dropped from last year’s total of 3.27 million.

DOLE said the number of NEE in the labor force increased from 1.08 million last year to 1.15 million.

The number of female NEE dropped to 2.72 million from 2.90 million in 2016. Female youth account for the bigger share of the youth NEE as compared to male NEE.

The number of male NEE increased to 1.56 million from 1.44 million last year.

The DOLE said prolonged NEE status could adversely affect the labor market prospects of the youth and increase risk of continued cycle of poverty.