President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will look into the jobs-skills mismatch that has been plaguing the labor industry in the Philippines.

Marcos made this assurance during a surprise visit to a “trabaho fair” for graduating and current Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in Iloilo City. The event was organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Because sometimes the problem in finding a job is that a person’s skills are not suitable for the job they are applying for, so we help them so that their skills, what they call their skill set, will match them to the right job,” he said in his brief remarks.

Around 3,000 beneficiaries joined the job fair, according to the DSWD, expressing hope they would be able to transition from the government aid program to self-sufficiency.

The beneficiaries will undergo pre-employment orientation by partner agencies and will also receive food assistance through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation, amounting to P3,000 each.

The Department of Agriculture set up a Kadiwa store nearby. Marcos urged attendees to patronize the Kadiwa store, as the products sold there are cheaper compared to regular markets.

“I hope that what we are doing will be helpful, and it is very important for the government that those who need help will be given help, and that is why we are doing this,” he said.

A 2022 report by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said that 65 percent of Filipino workers are employed in jobs that do not match their educational background or skills.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as of 2022, approximately 47 percent of employed Filipinos were underemployed, meaning they were either working fewer hours than they desired or were in jobs that did not fully utilize their skills and education.

Additionally, the PSA reported that 20.7 percent of the labor force is underutilized, highlighting the gap between available jobs and the skills of the workforce.

The mismatch is particularly evident in industries such as information technology, engineering, and healthcare, where employers often cite a lack of technical expertise or soft skills among applicants.