In a recent briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development, the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) revealed that a staggering 24% of educated people — those who have acquired at least an undergraduate degree — are currently jobless. PIDE officials further claimed that the figure was underreported as many unemployed people have forcefully enrolled themselves in M Phil studies out of desperation and in hopes of getting jobs in the future. Unfortunately, the situation of unemployment has reached such a critical threshold that thousands of degree holders are applying to lower staff positions in different institutions around the country. The dearth of opportunities has left them paralysed.
Unemployment is causally linked with problems of urbanisation, economic crisis, population growth, inflation, poor education and political instability; while a host of other problems emanate from it such as increased crimes rates, suicide, theft, nepotism and corruption. Apart from this, we cannot ignore the fact that unemployment is also a gender-based issue. The fact that around 40% of educated women are currently unemployed clearly shows the patriarchal nature of our systems and institutions that will not allow women to have an equal share.
However, when talking about Pakistan in specific, the biggest determining indicator is extreme inequality. Rampant unemployment essentially means that the middle-class is slowing withering away while the divide between the rich and the poor is exacerbating severely. Pakistan has long been a victim of elite capture, where the top 5 per cent control all the money and the resources and call all the shots. The aim is to maintain an unstable system so that vulnerable groups are easily exploited. As a result, various sectors are not allowed to develop and institutions remain repressed, hence the lack of funding and human resource. The weaker the institutions the lesser opportunities they can provide.
In order to bring about some semblance of equality, policies need to be reformed and institutions strengthened. The incumbent government cannot solely focus of the economy when the problem is elsewhere. We are only as strong as our weakest link.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2021.
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