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170
CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG THE EDUCATED YOUTH IN PAKISTAN
Mian Muhammad Ahmad Iqbal(1)
Shahid Qayyum Khaleek(2)
(1)(2) M.Phil Scholars, Department of Sociology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
Abstract
Unemployment is a lime lighted issue of Pakistan. It is the need of the day to root out the causes of
unemployment. In this scenario we felt a need to conduct a study on the causes of unemployment among the
educated youth in Pakistan. In the present study quantitative and qualitative (focus group discussion)
researches are conducted to find out the main causes of unemployment in Pakistan. The respondents were
including both males and females to discover the multiple reasons and gender biasness or segmentation in job
market in the gender perspective. Statistical tool is applied for analysis of the quantitative data and focus
group interviews are also concluded separately. At the end final conclusion is drawn by comparing both
results.
Key words: unemployment, gender biasness, market segmentation
1 INTRODUCTION
The Islamic republic of Pakistan had been
established in 14 august 1947 having four
provinces like Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and
Sarhad. Unemployment is one of the burning
issues of Pakistan. An individual, who has ability
and willing to do work, is not able to get job
opportunity is called unemployed person. In the
current scenario more than 30 lac individuals are
unemployed in Pakistan (Malik et al., 2011).The
rate of unemployment in Pakistan can be
calculated by the collaboration of Labor Force
Survey conducted by the Federal Bureau of
Statistics in 2011. According to this survey, the
unemployment has been increased from 5.6% in
2009 to 6% in 2011. This increase has been
measured for both males and females. Females
are more unemployed (8.9%) as compared to
males (5.1%) (LBF Survey, 2011). Population of
Pakistan is increasing rapidly as zafar et al (2011)
concluded that population growth is the real cause
of unemployment in Pakistan and the Population
growth in Pakistan is currently registered at an
annual rate of 2.1% which is one of the highest in
the world. On the other hand resources are
declining day by day as Chaudry and Hamid (1998)
171
concluded that less number of resources are the
main reason of unemployment and Qayyum (2007)
founded that a large number of educated young
people are facing higher unemployment rate in
Pakistan. Gender participation in labor market is
also increasing in Pakistan. Due to the globalization
and changing patterns of the society the women
are also willing to participate in labor force to run
their families, the Results of Naqvi and Lubna
(2002) also indicates that women participation in
economic activities increase with age in Pakistan
and conclusions indicates that there is a higher
evidence of unemployment among female youth
in Pakistan.
In the current circumstances of Pakistan the
tendency of both genders towards education is
very high. Educated youth including males and
females drop their c.v in different governmental
and non-governmental organizations and
institutions but unfortunately seek negative
response from the job market. Some jobs like
receptionist etc are associates to the females only
due to the attraction of the opposite sex but on
the other side some jobs are appropriate only for
the male segments that’s why there is a strong
gender biasness and discrimination exist in job
market as Jacqueline (2004) identified that gender
discrimination always exists in the labor market.
And this gender biasness leads to the
unemployment among the educated segments.
Pakistan have the strong feudal political system in
this perspective the feudalists and political leaders
have strong influence on social and governmental
institutions according to this point of view the
person who have strong reference (safaris) and
approach to the feudalists or the political leaders
can get job easily. Economic development also
depends upon the availability of energy sources
like khan et al (2007) proved the relationship
between energy and economic growth. Lack of the
energy sources means no economic development
and this imbalance between the economic
development and energy sources is also cause of
unemployment in Pakistan as in the case of India,
Ghosh (2009) have observed the nexus between
electricity supply, employment and GDP.
2 METHODOLOGY
Two methods were used to collect the data.
Firstly quantitative method is used to collect the
data. A hundred questionnaires were fulfilled by
those students who have completed their sixteen
years of education in the city Lahore Pakistan.
Convince sampling technique is used for selection
of the respondents. Hence 50 respondents were
males and 50 were females and results were
interpreted by applying Statistical formula of
percentage.
P= f/n × 100 where P = percentage, f= frequency,
n = total sample size and 100 is constant.
Secondly qualitative method is used to collect the
data. Four focus group discussions were conducted
two groups was containing males and two groups
for females. Each group had eight respondents.
172
Data is interpreted by combining the qualitative
and quantitative results.
3 RESULTA AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Extent of problems to faced
32% of boys answered that they are facing
problems to some extent and 68% of boys
answered that they are having much problems.
68% of girls answered that they are facing
problems to some extent and 32% answered that
they are facing much problems.
Table: 1
Respon
ses
Male Female
Freque
ncy
Percent
age
Freque
ncy
Percent
age
To
some
extent
16 32 34 68
Much 34 68 16 32
Total 50 100 50 100
Fig: 1
Focus group discussion session also indicates the
same results because majority of the boys are not
accepted in organizations due to the lack of job
opportunities but on the other hand women are
also facing much problems.
3.2 Gender biasness in job market
98% boys answered that gender biases exist in
giving jobs and 2 % think there are no gender
biases. 72% girls answered that gender biases exist
in giving jobs and 28 % think there are no gender
biases.
Table: 2
Respon
ses
Male Female
Freque
ncy
Percent
age
Freque
ncy
Percent
age
Yes 49 98 36 72
No 1 2 14 28
Total 50 100 50 100
Fig: 2
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
yes no
males
females
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
some much
male
173
Majority of the respondents are facing the gender
biasness in jobs market. All organizations prefer
females because they have better communication
skills and due to the opposite sex attraction like
receptionist jobs. Female respondents are also
agree that there is gender biasness exist in job
competition.
3.3 Job without a strong reference
88% boys answered that it is difficult to get job without reference and 12% boys disagreed with that.
56% girls answered that it is difficult to get job without reference and 44% girls disagreed with that.
Table:3
Fig: 3
During the focus group discussion a large number
of respondents agree that job is not possible
without the strong reference (Sifarish). Feudal and
political interference reduce the job opportunities
for those segments that fall on merit.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
yes no
males
females
Responses Male Female
Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage
Yes 44 88 28 56
No 6 12 22 44
Total 50 100 50 100
174
3.4 Job without experience
92% boys answered that it is difficult to get job
without experience and 8% boys disagreed with
that.
72% girls answered that it is difficult to get job
without experience and 28% girls disagreed with
that.
Table: 4
Responses Male Female
Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage
Yes 46 92 36 72
No 4 8 14 28
Total 50 100 50 100
Fig: 4
After the focus group discussion it is concluded
that fresh graduates face job problems severely
due to the lake of the experience. Majority of the
males and female respondents said that it is very
difficult to do job without any experience.
Organizations prefer experienced person for job as
compare to the fresh graduates.
3.5 Some other factors of unemployment
After the conclusion of the focus group discussion
it is concluded that there are many more factors
that are prominent hindrance on the way of
employment. Majority of the respondents agree
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
yes no
males
females
175
on this point that over population, lack of the
resources and weak political and social institutions
are also main reason of unemployment. As
Pakistan is facing severe shortage of electricity and
this short fall is destroying economic activities,
business and production in this context majority of
the respondents raised the issue that electricity
shortage is the major reason of unemployment in
Pakistan. During the focus group discussion it is
observed and concluded that bribery (rishwat) is
also a prominent reason of unemployment in
Pakistan.
4 CONCLUSIONS
Educated youth is facing so many problems in
finding jobs and in starting their job careers. The
situation is serious because majority of the
segments agreed that they cannot get job without
a reference (sifarish) and bribery. It is also
observed that majority of the fresh graduates are
not accepted in job market because the demand of
experienced segments is high as compare to the
fresh ones. On the other hand job opportunities
are too low due to the overpopulation and lake of
resources, wages are also low hence the majority
of the segments don’t accept low wages and long
working hours but most of them are having
problem to get job even on less pay. After the
whole study it is concluded that gender biasness or
market segmentation is also exist in the matter of
employment is also present and jobs are allocated
regarding to the sex. As the Pakistan is facing sever
energy crisis in this era in this context majority of
the respondents highlighted that energy crisis is
also a prominent reason of unemployment in
Pakistan.
REFERENCES
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Govt. of Pakistan. 2011. Labour force survey. Fed.
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Ghosh, S.: Electricity supply, employment, and real
GDP in India: evidence from cointegration and
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2929 (2009)
Jacqueline, G. 2004. “Occupational Pressures in
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Khan, A.M., Qayyum, A.: Dynamic modeling of
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M(2011) Causes of Unemployment Among the
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pakobserver.net/201204/07/detailnews.asp on 16-
09-2012
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