POVERTY a TREND: Unemployment Issues

Way back in college, our Professor taught us that Employment (unemployment or underemployment) is a key determinant for poverty. And for now, 2 years since I graduated, I feel the hunger for employment. This does not only happen to me alone. The mere fact that thousands of people graduate from different colleges and universities, these people tend to flood companies just to get a hand of the job.

The official unemployment rate for 2003 was 11.4% of the labor force. The labor force participation rate in 2003 was 67.1% of the population aged 15 years and over (NSCB, 2003 Philippine Statistical Yearbook). In the 2000 FIES, 35.5% of family heads were employed in the agriculture sector, and close to half of those were classified as poor.

The reason why poverty comes around because of unemployment is simple enough. Money is needed to survive. Not a lot of it is required, but a significant amount must be continuously raised to meet an individual’s four basic needs: food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare. Without employment, the ways and means of acquiring these four basic needs will be gone. As a result, people are drawn deeper into poverty.

Being on a third world country, it claims to be developing - industrialization and all sort of thing. Despite the vast development of numerous establishments, still people were not able to get hold of a job.

One particular reason is the quality of education a person has. Not only here in the Philippines but mostly all does require one to be a College graduate if not at least finished one's tertiary level. Aside from that all records in school should be on a top listed - which would mean good grades in all aspects. A good personality is a must, good English communication skills, etchetera.

But not everyone defines as above. For one problem of Filipino families who are not able to earn enough money for their children's tuition fees is to send their children on a public school. It goes on as unlike other country, the public school system in Philippines is deteriorating. This poor standard of education also leads to poor skills and low levels of competence. This in turn leads to great difficulties in finding jobs.