THE increasing rate of youth unemployment in Bangladesh has mounted an immense pressure on the country’s struggling economy which is already suffering due to declining inward remittance flows amidst the Middle East crisis, shortage of FDI, and many more. A National English daily on Friday covered the country’s unemployment scenario which said nearly one-third of Bangladeshi youths are either unemployed or underemployed—both of which pose a threat to social equality-which triggers unrest and many more social problems including crimes and drug addictions.
According to the World Population Prospects, 2012 Revision by the UN Population Division, the youth population of Bangladesh [the then East Pakistan] was 24.8 percent in 1970, 28.4 percent in 1990 and it would be 28.7 percent in 2015. According to the 2011 census of population and housing, 32 percent of youths in the potential labour force are either unemployed or underemployed. Of all groups in the labour force, youths aged 15-19 years have the highest rate of unemployment, more than four times the rate of unemployed people aged 35 and over, as per the census. Bangladesh’s total unemployment rate is 4.53 percent, youth unemployment rate for males is 6.8 percent and the females 8.5 percent though the statistics hardly match with the real-life situation.
A 2008 Bangladesh Bank study said one of every 6,000 applicants usually gets a job and most remain unemployed or underemployed. The problem of unemployment among the youths has been taking both social and economic tolls on Bangladesh. The failure to create adequate number of employment opportunities deprives millions of youths of using their prime time for their own good and also for the economic welfare of the country.
The situation in the coming days, in all probability, would be more difficult with an estimated 10 million more people entering the domestic job market in the next five years. The emergence of a strong private sector during the past two decades has largely helped absorb a substantial number of unemployed people. Without a strong private sector, the problem of unemployment would have gone almost beyond control. True, the government alone cannot create employment opportunities for a large number of people entering the labour market every year. But it needs to work as a facilitator so that the private sector can expand and create more jobs. In addition, the government should ensure an environment conducive to starting self-employment ventures, particularly by youths.
A rapid rise in population, coupled with rising expectations among youths who studied hard, got good grades and dreamt of middle class jobs, has created a huge gap in the number of people with qualifications and the market demand for these. Experts opined that quality education, technical education and labour-intensive industries can solve the problems.
We think the young people of today could lead our economy to an unprecedented, inclusive and sustainable development if equipped with the knowledge, skills and opportunities to take informed actions at the individual, household, community and national levels.
