Staff Reporter :
The spectre of unemployment looms large over Bangladesh as the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey for 2024, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), unveils a disconcerting uptick in joblessness.
The survey paints a sombre picture, with the unemployment population soaring to 25.9 lakh, marking a worrisome increase compared to figures from the preceding two years.
In 2023, the unemployment count stood at 24.7 lakh, with a slight surge from the previous year’s tally of 25.8 lakh, indicating a troubling trend of escalating joblessness gripping the nation.
Delving deeper into the statistics, the report delineates the demographic breakdown of the unemployed populace. The number of jobless males has surged to 17.4 lakh in 2024, witnessing a steady rise from 16.4 lakh in 2023 and 16.6 lakh in 2022.
Conversely, the female unemployed cohort has also witnessed an increase, with the first quarterly report for 2024 revealing a figure of 8.5 lakh, compared to 8.3 lakh in 2023. However, in 2022, the female unemployment count stood higher at 9.2 lakh.
The criteria for unemployment, as delineated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and adhered to by the BBS, stipulate that individuals who have been unable to secure employment for one hour within seven days and have remained jobless for the past month are classified as unemployed.
The repercussions of this escalating unemployment crisis are reflected in the country’s unemployment rate, which currently stands at 3.15 percent, according to the BBS. This marks a marginal decrease from 3.36 percent in 2023 to 3.53 percent in 2022.
The current male and female unemployment rates are 3.59 percent and 3.36 percent, respectively. According to BBS, the current population of the country stands at 17.29 crore.
The survey found that there are 7.37 crores of people aged 15 and older in the country now.
However, it was 7.34 crore in 2023 and 7.30 crore in 2022. Of the male labour force, the number is 4.84 crore and female 2.53 crore in the quarterly report.
According to the survey, the current employed population is 7.11 crore, compared to 7.09 crore in 2023 and 7.04 crore in 2022. The data clearly shows the increase in the employed population in the country.
Currently, 4.67 crore males and 2.44 crore females are employed, the survey report said.
The report has also witnessed that 4.82 crore people are not in the labour force. It means this population is neither employed nor unemployed.
This segment of the population includes general students, ailing persons, elderly persons, those unable to work, retired people, and housewives who are neither employed nor interested in employment.
Among this population, 1.16 crore are male and 3.65 crore are female, the survey report said.
The youth are considered the backbone of a nation for its development and progress. According to the survey, the youth labour force aged 15–29 years is worth 2.59 crore. Of them, 1.30 are male and 1.28 are female.
However, there is a decline in the youth labour force compared to 2023 and 2022. It was 2.67 crore in 2023 and 2.68 crore in 2022.
Based on sector-wise employment, there are 3.18 crores of people employed in agriculture, 1.27 crores in industries, and 2.65 crores in the service sector.
Employment in agriculture has increased compared to last year (3.15 crore) but decreased compared to 2022, when it was 3.19 crore.
In the industrial sector, employment was 1.22 crore in 2023 and 1.19 crore in 2022. On the other hand, in the service sector, the employed population was 2.72 crore in 2023 and 2.65 crore in 2022.
