More jobs needed for young Cambodians

Sunday, 13 November 2011
Nguon Sarath

PHNOM PENH, Nov 13 - Sitting at his computer ahead of last week's Water Festival, Piseth searched the internet to find a suitable job following his recent graduation from university. The 24-year-old is among the tens of thousands of young Cambodians who enter the job market each year.


“I no longer want to live on a daily allowance from my parents as I think that now I've already finished my university studies,” he said. "I think all of my friends are also looking for a job to make a living. However, I find it's not easy to get a job in Phnom Penh as I don't have enough experience.”

Piseth, who is from a 10-member family, graduated from Cambodian Mekong University, majoring in teaching English as a foreign language.

With so many young people joining the labor market each year, there is a strong need to expand the job market, especially for those who have just graduated from university.

In a statement released on the eve of the Water Festival, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said the job market in Cambodia is "still limited, even though the country’s economy is growing.”

Before the financial crisis in 2008, Cambodia had the second-fastest growing economy in the Asia-Pacific region. Although the economy has performed relatively well over the past three years, the economy is still one of the poorest in the region with GDP per capita estimated at $830 in 2010.

Sukti Dasgupta, senior specialist in employment and labor market policies at the ILO, said that while the Cambodian working age is increasing rapidly, most people work informally in low-paid jobs. The jobless rate in Cambodia is only 1.6 percent, he said. But many people are unable to increase their standard of living.