By Paulo Loreto Lim

Based on findings by the Department of Labor and Employment-Region VI (DOLE-6), unemployment is on an upward trend with an October 2017 report citing a 5.6 percent unemployment rate in the region, up from 3.2 percent the previous year.

According to DOLE-6 director, Atty. Johnson Cañete, there were around 183,000 unemployed individuals recorded in 2017, an increase from 108,000 the prior year.

He noted, efforts are being made through programs such as JobStart, which provides career guidance and technical training, with hopes of providing young workers a career track; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); among other programs.

“[It] is important to give our graduates the skills that they need in order to match what is really needed, not only locally, but overseas,” he said.

Last week, the General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) responded to the national government’s ban on deploying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Kuwait, amid reports surrounding the deaths of several migrant workers, expressing their concern over local unemployment.

“[The ban] will have an impact on the problem of unemployment, which is already high,” said GAWA Secretary-General Wennie Sancho./PLL, WDJ