Bangladesh currently has 885,000 unemployed university graduates, making higher-educated individuals the largest segment of the country’s jobless population, according to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
BBS released its full report on the Labour Force Survey for 2024 on Thursday.
In addition, the report indicates that among the unemployed in 2024, 173,000 have no formal education, 372,000 have completed primary education, 749,000 have completed secondary education, 407,000 have completed higher secondary education, and 38,000 have received education through other means.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition, an individual is not considered unemployed if they work for at least one hour and receive payment during a week. However, if someone is looking for work for a month and fails to find a paid opportunity within the last week, they are considered unemployed. Based on this international standard, the unemployment rate in Bangladesh stands at 2.624 million. However, in Bangladesh’s context, it is nearly impossible to sustain oneself by working just one hour a week.
Regionally, Dhaka Division has the highest number of unemployed individuals in the country, with 687,000 people unemployed. Following Dhaka are Chattogram Division with 584,000 unemployed, Rajshahi with 357,000, Khulna with 331,000, Sylhet with 216,000, Rangpur with 206,000, Barishal with 139,000, and Mymensingh Division with 104,000 unemployed individuals.
The BBS survey also mentions ten different methods used to seek employment. According to the survey, around 36 per cent of job seekers requested help from their relatives and friends, while 26 per cent searched for jobs through newspaper advertisements. Additionally, 12 per cent of job seekers approached various organisations directly in search of work.
