Navigating the Path from Graduate Unemployment to Workforce Success

This study explored graduate unemployment and its relationship to workforce success among professionals in District 5, Pangasinan. Specifically, it examined respondents’ demographic profiles, duration of unemployment prior to securing sustainable employment, perceived causes of unemployment (individualistic causes, human capital deficit, volitional constraints, and frictional unemployment), challenges experienced during unemployment (psychological distress, social isolation, financial struggles, and physical and locational struggles), and participants’ lived experiences. The study also aimed to develop strategic policy inputs to enhance workforce success. A mixed-methods research design was employed using a validated semi-structured survey questionnaire and interviews. A total of 386 respondents participated, with 178 meeting the inclusion criteria of having experienced unemployment (at least one year for non-board programs and two years for board programs). Respondents were selected through purposive and stratified sampling across Laoac, Pozzorubio, Urdaneta City, and Villasis. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed moderate levels of agreement regarding the causes of unemployment and moderate levels of seriousness across most unemployment-related challenges, except physical and locational struggles, which were rated low. Significant relationships were identified between selected profile variables, causes, and challenges of unemployment, leading to the rejection of the null hypotheses. Participants’ lived experiences further confirmed the persistence of these factors in their employment trajectories. The study concludes that addressing identified causes and challenges is essential to improving workforce success and recommends policy-informed interventions to support professionals’ employment sustainability in the district.