Pakistan’s current crippling economic situation is taking a significant toll on the educated youth, with more than 31% unemployed and uncertain about future opportunities in the face of the country’s deteriorating situation according to a new report.
According to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) report “Out of this 31%, 51% are females and 16% are males, with many holding professional degrees. Almost 60% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30.
The current unemployment rate of 6.9% is considered acceptable and frequently makes headlines. Females and those living in cities are more likely to be unemployed than males and those living in rural areas. Surprisingly, the PIDE report also revealed that a large proportion of the working-age population is not even in the labour force.
These people are either discouraged workers or have other sources of income,it said.
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The shockingly high rate of unemployment refutes Imran Khan’s government’s claims of creating job opportunities for the youth through policy initiatives.
Despite talk of the youth bulge and reaping the demographic dividend, the unemployment rate for young new entrants into the labour force is the highest according to the report.
While education is widely regarded as a panacea and the key to all opportunities, reality shows otherwise.The majority of the unemployment rate is linked to the urban area, where a lack of opportunities and mobility has kept educated youth from working.
The report questioned why urban areas were not providing the kind of opportunities they should, and it also raised the critical question of whether Pakistan is providing such opportunities for its people to take advantage of and excel in order to have a more progressive future.
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It insisted that youth engagement by the government’s and the private sector’s top priority, especially given that youth make up a sizable proportion of the country’s population.
One-third of youth in both rural and urban areas are disconnected from the system due to a lack of employment or enrollment.
According to the report, the disconnect is greater for young females, with 60% not working or studying.
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