Unemployment is a major problem in Pakistan, with over 30 lakh people unemployed and a rate over 12%. The largest reasons for unemployment are (i) the backwardness of the agriculture sector due to outdated machinery and lack of investment, and (ii) underdevelopment of the industrial sector due to electricity issues and low demand for products. Additional factors include a defective education system that does not prepare workers, high population growth, political instability, and reliance on loans that burden the economy. Unemployment will continue unless consistent economic planning and policies are implemented to boost investment and development.

1. Reasons for growing unemployment in
Pakistan
Unemployment is one of the biggest
problems of Pakistan. That person is
unemployed who has ability to do work
and is willing to do work but is unable to
get job opportunity. In the current
situation more than 30 lakh people are
unemployed in Pakistan and
unemployment ratio is more than 12%.
i. The biggest reason of unemployment
in Pakistan is concerned with the
backwardness of agriculture sector.
Agriculture is the biggest sector of our
economy that contributes 20.9% to GDP
and 44% people get jobs from this sector
directly or indirectly. Unemployment in
this sector is from two sides.

2. First is due to the adoption of latest
machinery and capital intensive
technology. Due to this, demand for
labour has been decreased. Second is the
backwardness of this sector. There is less
availability of fertilisers, pesticides,
quality seeds, absence of land reforms
and lack of agriculture education. Due to
all these factors agriculture sector is not
expanding and there is general and
disguised unemployment.
ii. Industrial sector is the second largest
sector of our economy and contributes
19% to national income. This sector
should employ a large number of labor.
But due to backwardness it is employing
a small number of people. Due to
electricity breakdown already established
industry is deteriorating, resulting in the
prevailing unemployment ratio.

3. iii. High cost and low quality are
responsible for less demand for our agri
and industrial items. Because of less
demand of such kinds of goods both the
domestic and international producers are
losing their interest in production. That’s
why people are becoming unemployed.
iv. In Pakistan education system is
defective. There is no educational
planning. This system is producing the
stuff, which is useless in technical fields
of the country. There is lack of technical
and vocational institutions. Public
attitude towards education is wrong, they
want to get their degrees in general and
arts subjects. Nobody can set up his own
business without technical education.
v. Millions of people in Pakistan are
poor. Due to poverty people are
overburdened with expenditures and

4. their savings are very low. It is said that
for the reasonable growth of economy
saving rate should be at least 25% in any
country, but in Pakistan it is only 13 to
14% which is very low. Low investment
level is due to less savings, ultimately
there is unemployment.
vi. In Pakistan majority of the
businessmen are less educated. They do
not know how to run their businesses
properly. So they become bankrupt. This
factor generates unemployment on a
massive level.
vii. In Pakistan there is lack of every
kind of planning. There is a huge
difference between the demand and
supply for labor. There is absence of
such kind of planning to produce
doctors, engineers, technical experts

5. scientists etc, according to the need of
different sectors of the economy.
viii. Load shedding of electricity is
disturbing economy, especially the
industrial sector. Due to less availability
and high rates of basic inputs like
electricity, gas and oil etc, many
industries have been closed.
ix. In Pakistan, tax system is not
satisfactory. Ratio of direct taxes is more
than indirect taxes. Tax evasion is
common. Due to less income from the
taxes, government cannot start
developmental projects. If there is no
investment, then from where public
would find jobs. On the other side if
government takes step to increase
indirect taxes, it would also affect
investment and ultimately employment
level.

6. x. Current international financial crisis is
one of the biggest reasons of
unemployment in Pakistan and in the
whole world. This crisis originated from
the banking sector of USA, UK and
some European countries and is now a
global phenomena.
xi. Pakistan’s population growth rate is
1.8% which is the highest in the region.
Our resources are limited. Different
sectors of economy are unable to provide
jobs to the growing population. So there
is unemployment.
xii. Fiscal and monetary policies are also
responsible for unemployment. In view
of fiscal policy, Pakistan has less funds
to invest in job providing projects. Every
annual budget shows deficit. Through the
monetary policy if the government
increases the rate of interest, it

7. discourages the investors from getting
loans.
xiii. Political instability, bad law and
order situation, army’s interference,
bomb blasts, terrorism, inconsistent
economic policies etc are the factors
which are disturbing domestic and
foreign investment. Pakistan investors
are taking away their money to Dubai
and other countries of the world.
xiv. Due to 9/11 incident, Gulf war and
the baseless allegations of terrorism the
image of Pakistan has been affected very
badly at international level. So in the
current scenario Pakistan has limited job
opportunities in other countries of the
world.
xv. Craze for work only in government
sector, instead of private sector and

8. seasonal firms, industries are also
responsible for unemployment.
xvi. Since 1947, Pakistani rulers got
loans from IMF, World Bank and many
other sources. Such loans were not
utilized honestly. Current external debt
of Pakistan is more than 50 billion dollar.
Government has to allocate a big amount
for the repayment of loans with interest.
So due to fewer resources for
developmental projects there is
unemployment.
Concluding,
I would like to suggest that with proper
economic planning, consistent policies of
government, better law and order
situation, abolishing energy crisis,
sincerity with Pakistan and by adopting
the Islamic economic system we can not
only tackle the issue of unemployment

9. but every economic problem of our
country as well.

10. but every economic problem of our
country as well.