AS A second-courser, I have the luxury to put-off having to worry about finding a job, but among the students in my university, I am the one most aware of the difficulties of being unemployed.
Many of my batch mates have and are still out there hunting for jobs, at least a decent one. Even those with work experience and/or with good educational background find it difficult. With fresh graduates being deployed into society, finding work is now becoming more like a struggle.
Many companies accept numerous applicants only to fill in one or two positions. Some of these positions are only temporary, either to substitute an employee on leave or to supply the demands during a company's peak season.
Even call centers are now choosy as to who to hire. I know a number of people who were rejected.
However, the biggest issue here is that business today is tough. According to some businessmen, sales are dropping because "people have no money." There is little chance of hiring. Some companies even have to lay off workers just to cut costs.
Companies today are looking for an applicant who can do the work of two or more people with the least cost. That's a challenge for our thousands of applicants plus there are tough competitors. All the more that people have no income to earn, no money to spend.
If people have no money to spend, it is only because they can't find a job.
Companies can't hire new employees because of low sales, or worse, loss. And we can't really blame the companies for the lack of employment opportunities. They are in business after all; no point in losing money.
Apparently, the role of money is getting smaller. And even though the country's economy is struggling in such a condition, it still continues. It leaves the business cycle in a mess because the supply of labor is greater than the demand.
So, who will call the shot?
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Sunday Essays are articles and reflections written by third year Masscom students of the Ateneo de Davao University for their journalism class. Hershey T. Cruz