Due to the unprecedented economic crisis marked by declining production of export industries, increasing dependence on imports and worsening trade deficit, the number of unemployed people in the country is increasing manifold, due to which the majority of the people are expressing pessimism about the prospects of future improvement.   According to an authentic survey in which more than 2,000 people participated from across the country, 83 percent of Pakistanis say that unemployment has increased in the last six months, while 60 percent say that it will increase further in the next six months. In 2022, 82 percent of the people expressed despair about unemployment and talked about its increase.  Only ten percent believe that the increase has not decreased. 13 percent thought it would make no difference. One percent gave no answer.

In the survey, a large number of people have reported the increase in unemployment based on their observation. In fact, the continuous depreciation of the rupee against the dollar, external debt, decrease in production of agricultural commodities due to excesses, floods and rains, continuous increase in taxes, increasing amount of utility bills and many other factors have caused extraordinary negative effects on the economic condition of the country.  And the business and industrial establishments are constantly making noise that their condition is constantly deteriorating. The austerity campaign has to be started in the government institutions themselves. The current situation is that many non-governmental organizations are firing their employees.  Many industries are on the verge of collapse while businesses are close to closing down due to the ever-increasing inflation. The worst affected are day laborers who are unable to find employment. Famines are coming in their houses.

A recent report by the UN, which has placed Pakistan among the lower middle class economies, has revealed  that it will be seemingly difficult to seek a well-paid   employment opportunities in the new year  as compared to last year. Since Pakistan is on the floods plain so it will remain exposed to high risk of natural disasters and the economic meltdown is going to persist, with job opportunities to be difficult task not only at home but also abroad as the world economy is also in recession. As a matter of fact, misfortunes and adversaries never come alone, they say. The same can be applied to current economic scenario of the country, where the common man is beset with a series of adversaries ranging from price-hike to inflation to unemployment, which are breaking their backbone. In fact, unemployment at times of double digit inflation is something that proves detrimental to people from working class strata of the society. Yes, the latest statistics on the genie of unemployment are really disappointing and points to rather difficult times for the masses in the post pandemic situation when food prices have escalated beyond imagination, rupee has lost its worth and inflation is at its peak. It ought to be mentioned with concern that the steep rise in jobless rate in our country has increased to an alarming 16pc contrary to the government’s claim of 6.5pc. What is more concerning is that unemployment among educated youth, both male and female, is more prevalent than other segments of the society.

As par the latest report by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) presented before the Senate Standing Committee that 24 per cent of educated people were jobless at the moment. The PIDE also told the committee that 40pc of educated women were also unemployed countrywide. Providing jobs, particularly to the youth, is a formidable challenge and highly important to develop and utilise capabilities of the younger generation and it remains to be seen how the government come to terms with the requirement of this challenge. The hair-raising statistics on unemployment of educated ought to be enough to shake the government out of its deep slumber but that does not seem to be case as education and employment is not among the priorities of the current government. What is more painful is that the unemployment rate among degree-holders is almost three times higher than the other overall unemployed workforce. This is attributed  to the mismatch between the education being imparted and the need of the economy to sufficiently absorb fresh graduates. But the question is what the government is doing to address this drawback of our education system.  Till now no mega plan is in sight to work on increasing employment opportunities for the degree holders. Just imagine, the Senate committee was told by PIDE

that at least 1.5 million people applied for an extremely lower position job in a high court that was advertised in the media recently. Among those applying for the peon-position in the High Court were included M.Phil degree holders as well. The irony is that govt does not have an exact number of educated youths as no research was being done at the government level.

According to the government’s annual plan, Pakistan has the 9th largest labour force in the world which is increasing with the passage of time. But these claims stand in stark contrast with the ground realities.  Pakistan’s economy has badly affected by the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and then floods. This adverse economic situation has resulted in decline of employment opportunities due to halt in various business activities, decline in export and cut in production due to supply chain disruption. All these factors also resulted in increase in unemployment. The unplanned population is also a major factor for unemployment. Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world with its estimated to reach 280m by 2030. The irony is that the government claims to be empowering the poor by provide financing opportunities through banks to the low-income segments of society. But such claims do not hold water in the wake of increasing unemployment of educated youth and with the government inability to provide them with jobs to make them stand on their own feet. Providing a financing is one thing and making the youth standing their feet is totally another. The government has to pay extraordinary attention to the employment of people in this situation. A well-devised austerity campaign has to be started in the government institutions themselves. The current situation is that many non-governmental organizations are firing their employees.

Many businesses are close to closing down due to the ever-increasing inflation. The worst affected are day laborers who are unable to find employment. It is high time; the government has to pay extraordinary attention to the employment of people in this situation.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 31 2023

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