Rizal 4th district Rep. Fidel Nograles, chairman of House Labor and Employment Committee, has warned against a possible increase in unemployment and underemployment if the government keeps neglecting the need to upskill the Filipino workforce.

For Nograles, the government must create a platform that would provide workers easier access to upskill and reskill in a bid to prop their chances at employability sooner than later.

"Otherwise we may see increased unemployment and underemployment in the future," he said.

His statement came as the Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum disclosed that 68 percent of Filipino workers were expected to need training to meet evolving skill demands, surpassing the global average of 59 percent.

The report noted that only 38 percent of Filipinos completed their training, compared with the 50 percent global average.

Nograles warned that failure to update the Filipino workforce's skill set could lead to job displacement and redundancy.

"May panganib din na matigil ang pag-arangkada ng iba't ibang industriya kung hindi mapupunan ang staffing requirement ng mga ito (There's also a chance that the development of different industries could stop if we won't be able to met their staffing requirement)," he said.

He also feared that the lack of employable workers due to the "skills gap" could force the closure of businesses.

"This isn't even future-proofing, as we are now amid the shift towards more AI, and climate change is posing challenges to many sectors, particularly agriculture. So we really have to act now," he said.