1.94 million youth unemployed: BBS survey

Highlights: 

• 7.2% of 26.76 million youth labour force aged 15-29 unemployed 
• Unemployed youths 80.7% in rural areas, 75.1% in urban areas 
• Overall, 78.9% of total unemployed population youths aged 15-29 years
• 31.5% of unemployed youths have completed tertiary education, 21.3% secondary education and 14.9% higher secondary education 

An estimated 1.94 million, or 7.2%, of the country's 26.76 million youth labour force aged 15-29 are unemployed, according to the Labour Force Survey 2023 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The final report of the survey released today (22 December) shows the proportion of unemployed youth in the total unemployment rate is 80.7% in rural areas and 75.1% in urban areas. Overall, 78.9% of the total unemployed population are youth aged 15-29 years.

The survey reveals that the largest share of unemployed youth, 31.5%, have completed tertiary education, followed by those with secondary education at 21.3%, and higher secondary education at 14.9%.

Of the total unemployed youth, 1.34 million, or 69.1%, are from rural areas, while the remaining 0.60 million, or 30.9%, are from urban areas. The estimated youth unemployment rate is 7.3% – 9.6% for males and 4.8% for females. 

In urban areas, the youth unemployment rate is 10.5%, with a higher rate for females at 13.3% compared to 9.3% for males. In rural areas, the youth unemployment rate is 6.4%, with males experiencing a higher rate of 9.8% compared to 3.5% for females.

The report highlights higher unemployment rates in the 1-3 months duration category at 24.8%, with significant differences between male and female unemployment rates across various duration categories. 

Females generally experience lower unemployment rates, with only 7.9% of youth being unemployed for two years or more.

Key findings show higher unemployment rates among individuals with lower levels of education, such as primary or none, and lower unemployment rates among those with higher educational attainment, such as tertiary education. 

Additionally, a significant portion of unemployed youth were jobless for 1-3 months. Among long-term unemployed youth (1-2 years or 2+ years), a notable share had tertiary education – 19.2% and 16.3%, respectively.

The findings also show that among NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth, 61.7% are females, while 38.3% are males. 

The high NEET rate among young women suggests their engagement in household chores and/or institutional barriers limiting their participation in the labour market.

The largest share of NEET youth belongs to the 15-19 age group, accounting for 3.36 million or 40.7%, followed by the 25-29 age group at 2.48 million or 30.0%, and the 20-24 age group at 2.42 million or 29.3%.

Of the total NEET youth, 41.9% are from rural areas, while 58.1% are from urban areas. The NEET rate among youth aged 15-29 years is 18.9% overall, with 15.4% for males and 22.1% for females.