KARACHI:
The crisis of youth employment in Pakistan has transformed what should be a secure foundation for the future into a primary source of chronic mental stress. Despite obtaining solid qualifications, fresh graduates face stagnant starting salaries ranging between Rs40,000 and Rs50,000, an income completely decoupled from the country’s harsh economic realities. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, urban house rents have surged by 42% over the last two years alone. In metropolitan hubs like Karachi, balancing a Rs50,000 salary against escalating rent, daily transit and family support has become a mathematical impossibility — a struggle further aggravated because most firms refuse to offer fuel allowances, travel subsidies or hybrid work options.
This severe financial shortfall directly triggers a profound mental health epidemic among the country’s youth. A 2024 survey by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) found that 63% of young workers identify relentless price hikes as the primary cause of their anxiety, while a Gallup Pakistan survey reveals that 62% of workers aged 22 to 30 suffer from severe anxiety and sleep loss due to financial strain. This dangerous correlation is backed by the WHO, which explicitly links persistent financial stress to professional burnout.
To remedy this crisis, starting salaries must be raised to a minimum of Rs70,000, firms should mandate two work-from-home days, workplaces must provide free counseling, and the state should establish low-cost youth hostels and subsidised transport cards.
Alisha Haider
Karachi
