Bangladesh’s current unemployment situation—particularly the employment crisis among educated youth—signals a new and alarming warning. The 2024 Labour Force Survey published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics reveals that the number of unemployed graduates has risen to nearly 885,000.
The unemployment rate among graduates now stands at 13.50 percent, an increase from the previous year. What is especially concerning is that while the national unemployment rate is 4.48 percent, the employment crisis among educated young people is several times higher.
On this issue, the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue has clearly stated that employment opportunities in both the public and private sectors have not grown at the expected rate.
On one hand, the state’s limited recruitment processes, and on the other, the sluggish growth in business and trade have together created an adverse situation. Investment is not increasing, yet the narrative of economic success is being promoted merely by pointing to GDP figures.
The question arises: if investment does not expand, how will employment opportunities grow?
The answer to this question lies hidden in the economic history of the modern world. One of the main benchmarks of success for governments in developed countries is how effectively they can generate employment.
The example of the United States can be cited here. Following the devastating 2008 recession, the U.S. government announced a ‘stimulus package’ that included infrastructure investment and special incentives for small and medium enterprises. As a result, between 2010 and 2020, about 20 million new jobs were created in the U.S. economy.
In Europe too, countries like Germany and the Netherlands adopted innovative industrial policies and institutional reforms to keep their labor markets strong. Therefore, the key to success is clear: employment generation must be at the heart of state governance—not just paper growth figures.
For most developing countries, however, the picture is entirely different. We are witnessing vast numbers of highly educated young people sinking into despair as they fail to find jobs.
The purpose of higher education is to create skilled human resources, but when the market does not offer suitable opportunities for them, it lays the groundwork for an invisible social explosion. History shows that a lack of employment fuels unrest and rebellion in society.
The Arab Spring began largely out of frustration among educated unemployed youth. If the state fails to ensure dignified livelihoods for them, mass uprisings and revolts will re-emerge—it is only a matter of time.
Another point deserves special mention here. If the investment climate is not positive, neither domestic nor foreign investors will be interested in undertaking new initiatives.
The investment environment is inseparably linked with law and order, policy transparency, and political stability. If corruption, irregularities, and uncertainty prevail, even domestic entrepreneurs will refrain from investing—let alone foreign capital.
The CPD Executive Director has rightly reminded us: without an increase in domestic and foreign investment, how can employment rise?
Those who hold the responsibility of state governance must understand that employment is not just part of economic indicators; it is also a prerequisite for political stability.
Therefore, those in power, those in politics, and those who manage the country must recognize that without prioritizing three areas—expansion of employment, a positive investment climate, and the healthy growth of business and trade—no other development will be sustainable.
History attests that when young people are employed, they devote themselves to nation-building. But when their lives are scarred by the open wound of unemployment, that wound turns into the fire of mass uprisings. The absence of employment will continue to bring back mass protests and revolts across countries—this simple truth must be understood.
