ColdSideOfYourPillow

A chef is not skilled according to economics. However, “skill” as used in common literature and speech, still applies to these uncertified chefs.

From the country I’m from, you can open your own small restaurant without any qualifications.

Yes, I’m afraid to dine out when I return there during vacations.

it means it’s a job that almost anyone can do

Not exactly. Unskilled labor simply refers to jobs that do not require a formal certification. There are many economically unskilled jobs that require a high amount of expertise. One such example is often a chef (specifically, the ones which don’t have formal culinary education).

Chefs need to have a deep understanding of food preparation techniques, flavor profiles, food safety, menu planning, and the ability to work quickly and efficiently in a high-pressure environment. It is a demanding job that few people can do. Yet, according to economics, these people would be unskilled.

Personally, part of me believes that people shouldn’t nitpick the percieved inaccuracy of jargon based upon the usage of words in common parlance.

The other part of me wishes that the experts would have chosen a less polarizing term with more neutral connotations.