Dhaka, Jan 06 (V7N)- Unemployment in Bangladesh has surged by 170,000 in the past year, as revealed by the latest Labour Force Survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The survey, released on January 5, highlights a significant decline in employment across agriculture, services, and industry sectors, accompanied by a notable rise in the number of unemployed men compared to women.

Key Findings of the Survey:

1. Rising Unemployment:

The total number of unemployed individuals in the country stands at 2.66 million, compared to 2.49 million in the same period in 2023.

This marks an increase of 170,000 unemployed people over the year.

2. Gender Disparity:

Unemployed men: 17.9 million (up from 16.4 million in 2023).

Unemployed women: 8.7 million (up from 8.5 million in 2023).

The number of unemployed men has risen by 1.5 million, while unemployed women increased by only 20,000.

3. Labour Force Decline:

The total labour force has shrunk from 61.15 million in 2023 to 59.18 million in 2024, a decrease of 1.97 million.

Of the current labour force, 56.52 million are employed, leaving 2.66 million unemployed.

4. Youth Labour Force Impacted:

Youth labour force (ages 15–29): 24.20 million in 2024, down from 26.19 million in 2023.

This represents a decrease of 2 million.

5. Population Outside the Labour Force:

A significant 62.33 million people are outside the labour force.

This group includes students, the elderly, retirees, homemakers, and those unwilling or unable to work.

The BBS survey follows International Labour Organization (ILO) guidelines:

13th ICLS Guideline: Counts anyone who worked for at least one hour in the past seven days for wages, profit, or household consumption as employed.

19th ICLS Guideline: Considers only those working for wages or profit as employed.

According to the 19th guideline, unemployment in the third quarter of 2024 was 2.66 million, compared to 2.59 million in the first quarter and 2.64 million in the second quarter of the same year.

The rising unemployment, especially among men and youth, coupled with the shrinking labour force, signals economic challenges for Bangladesh. Analysts warn that immediate policy measures are needed to address job creation, skill development, and youth employment to reverse the trend.

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