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  • News Desk
  • Feb 18th, 2005
  • Comments Off on Unemployment rate rises to 8.27 percent in 2004: Human Rights report
The rate of unemployment increased from 7.82 percent in 2000 to 8.27 percent in 2004, as the government has failed to create employment opportunities for around 33,064 youths holding postgraduate degrees. This was disclosed in a report 'state of human rights' issued by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). According to the report, the job market is shrinking, and unemployment in rural areas, which was 6.94 percent in 2000, rose to 7.55 percent in 2004, while in urban areas it was 9.92 percent in 2000 which increased to 9.98 percent in 2004.

The total number of labour force employed in the country is 41.32 million and unemployment rate soared to 9.7 percent if labour force working less than 15 hours a week is included among the unemployed.

The report mentioned that 240 people committed suicide across the country till May 2004 due to unemployment and financial hardships of around 1,160 reported cases of suicide.

In Balochistan, several thousand engineers, doctors, and post-graduates regularly flood the province's job market and few could hope for jobs commensurable with their qualifications, report added.

The report mentioned the job quota of Balochistan was fixed at 5.1 percent but that was not being practically implemented in the federal services.

The report stated that job market of Punjab was shrinking and according to statistics of the Asian Development Bank, the unemployment had been one percent higher than the national average of 7.5 percent since 2000.

The employment opportunities had declined considerably after September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with overseas employment opportunities narrowing down immensely and investment in the country declining, report added.

The Pakistan Merchant Navy Officers Association said that out of total workforce of 12,500 only around 2,000 officers were on job because of international situation.

The report mentioned that due to lack of employment opportunities and downsizing the failure to pay compensation in time or to make payments as agreed under golden handshake plans added to the immense problems of laid off workers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005


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