Addressing the Labor Market Barriers: A Roadmap toward Job Opportunities for Economics Graduates

Abstract

The study examined the employment outcomes of Economics graduates within the Philippine labor market. It determined whether these graduates were employed by public sector organizations such as government agencies, state-owned corporations, and regulatory bodies, or by private institutions, including corporations, banks, consultancy firms, the education sector, and commercial businesses. Beyond sectoral distribution, the research examined the prevailing employment opportunities and specific workplace-related obstacles encountered by the participants. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study utilized structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, with data analyzed through descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, percentage counts, and rankings. Key findings revealed that the majority of Economics graduates have secured employment predominantly within the industry sector. A significant number of participants work within private employers rather than in government offices and hold permanent or regular positions. Despite this job stability, several obstacles to career progression emerged, most notably a lack of civil service eligibility, insufficient work experience, and technical skill gaps. Furthermore, the findings highlighted that deficits in advanced academic units and a mismatch between educational training and practical job demands remain significant hurdles. Consequently, these identified competency gaps provide the empirical foundation for a proposed curriculum redesign and educational activities intended to align higher education with contemporary industry requirements for sustainable career success and professional mobility.