Pakistan economy watch: Half of Pakistan unemployed

PEW said that employment to population ratio has registered a nominal rise to 50.4% from 46.8% over the past ten years

ISLAMABAD: Almost half of the Pakistani workforce is unemployed according to the figures released by the Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW). The PEW President Dr Murtaza Mughal said in a statement on Friday that the employment to population ratio has registered a nominal rise to 50.4% from 46.8% over the past ten years. However at the same time, anxiety is still relatively high as the employment rate is almost 80% for men. Mughal said that the country’s unemployment rate had risen to 6% percent this year. Pakistan has seen very low labour productivity over the last decade and low growth in labour productivity has not gone hand in hand with the rising labour force and employment growth, he said. Mughal said that due to government’s failure to focus on growth-oriented policy; unemployment has witnessed an upward trend in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2012.