Pakistan’s Unemployment crisis goes beyond the headline
The first-ever digital census shows Pakistan’s unemployment rate at 7.8 %. That means about 18.7 million people out of 241.5 million are jobless. When you zoom in on those who are of working age, the figure jumps to 11 %. For the 171.7 million people who are economically active, more than one‑tenth cannot find work.
Youth are hit hardest
The news is even scarier for young Pakistanis. Roughly one‑third of those aged 15‑35 are unemployed. The census data misses a huge group called NEET – young people who are neither in education, employment, nor training. Many of them have stopped looking for jobs, work in unpaid or informal gigs, or are stuck in family businesses that barely pay. The NEET group shows how the headline unemployment rate underestimates the problem.
Women’s labour participation is alarmingly low
Women’re especially shut out. Their participation rate is one of the lowest in the region, which trims “half of the country’s potential workforce” from active use. This gender gap magnifies the unemployment crisis and keeps many families in poverty.
Skills mismatch fuels structural unemployment
Pakistan’s education system still struggles with low quality and outdated textbooks. Schools don’t teach the skills the economy now needs. Vocational training is scarce, and many educated youths gravitate toward public‑sector jobs—jobs that are few and fiercely competitive. This mismatch between what people know and what employers want is a key driver of ongoing structural unemployment.
Economic shocks compound the problem
Inflation, a weak foreign‑exchange market, and the 2022‑2025 floods have hit small businesses hard. The World Bank’s Post‑Disaster Needs Assessment estimated billions of dollars in damage and millions of people falling back into poverty. Without timely policy responses, shocks could lock today’s young job seekers into long‑term unemployment forever.
Beyond the numbers: social consequences
Youth unemployment does more than strip jobs. It pushes the most vulnerable into poverty, migration, and even crime. In remote provinces, it has led to trafficking into bonded labour, begging, or the sex trade. The coal mines in Balochistan are a grim example: workers die because they lack basic safety gear, a failure that exposes how poorly protected the workforce is. Street crime rises as desperate young men turn to robbery and theft.
Radicalisation as a symptom of failure
Some young people, lured by charismatic madrassas or online influencers, turn to extremist movements, drawn by promises of respect, power, and weapons. This isn’t just a security issue—it’s a warning that society fails to offer meaningful alternatives to its youth.
The road ahead
Pakistan’s job market needs urgent, well‑designed measures. Stronger vocational training, modernised curricula, and policies that strengthen small businesses can help bridge the skills gap. Protecting women’s workforce participation and putting safety nets around flood‑affected areas will also be key. Only then can the country turn its large, youthful population from a statistical problem into a vibrant, productive engine.
Source: ianslive
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