KARACHI:
According to a research survey, the number of unemployed people in Pakistan has been estimated to reach 6.65 million during 2020-2021 and is forecasted at 52.25% in 2024. More than 8 million Pakistanis migrated during the outgoing year 2023, the FIA said in its annual immigration report.
The first major cause is overpopulation. According to a survey, overpopulation is going to increase day by day and will reach 26 crore or more in 2030. For the middle- and lower-income population, even basic resources are a long way off, and getting a job is a far-off prospect. There is also a problem of the wrong mindset of people about family planning. Many people who can afford one child have five children and people who can afford five have one child which means there is no proper concept of family planning.
The second reason is literacy and education system. According to a UNDP report, 70 percent of the population is youth, which falls below 50 percent of literacy level. This is primarily due to a lack of financial resources. The education system, on the other hand, is severely suffering. Our institutes impart outdated knowledge and fail to develop students’ academic and professional skills. When these students enter the professional world, they fall behind in global competition, and the resultant opportunities.
The fourth major reason is economic instability. While the middle- and lower-income population struggle to meet their basic requirement, businesses are seeing a sharp decline in overall growth. Importers are seeing their import bills skyrocket and those not earning from exports have seen their profits evaporate. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2023, the industrial sector posted a negative growth of 2.94 percent in FY2023. This recession reduced the labour output and as an outcome, people lacked jobs.
It has to be accepted with regret that the plight will continue downhill. If Pakistan is to be saved, the government must at once dedicate a Task Force to start working on unemployment addressing all the fundamental issues responsible collectively.
Mehreen Taj
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th, 2024.
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