Job hunters line up at an employment fair in Manila. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA - Some employers are unwilling to hire K-12 graduates, seeing the lack of a 4-year degree as a "risk," a job recruitment website said.

Only 24 percent of employers were willing to hire K-12 graduates, 35 percent were unwilling, while 41 percent were undecided, according to a JobStreet.com poll of 503 company representatives in February.

The study does not prove that college graduates are better workers compared to K-12 graduates, but shows that those who earned degrees have "more chances in landing a job" in the Philippines, Jobstreet.com Philippines country manager Philip Gioca told reporters.

Another survey released by the Philippine Business for Education in March showed only 1 out of 5 companies "are open and ready to accept senior high school graduates."

"They (Employers) perceive it as a risk," Gioca said.

"Employers do not have proof that K-12 graduates are more productive, more efficient than college graduates," Gioca said.

Most employers who are unwilling to hire K-12 graduates are in small and medium enterprises, he said.

"These businesses have very lean staffing so they want to be very sure about who they get," he said.

"Employers see that applicants who spent 4 more years in school have more knowledge, more experience," he said.

More employers may be willing to hire senior high school graduates next year if they see that K-12 graduates can be as productive as college degree holders, he said.