Bonikbarta Exclusive

Nearly 1.9 million students completed higher education from public and private universities across the country over the past three years (2021-23). However, the majority of these students remain unemployed. Some of these educated youth, unable to secure jobs, are leading lives of extreme hardship. Experts warn that if employment opportunities are not quickly created for this massive unemployed population, they could become a significant burden for the country. Disappointed, many may turn to deviant paths. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) records the number of students graduating from universities annually. According to UGC’s 2021 annual report, 344,528 students completed pass courses (three-year programs), bachelor’s (honors), master’s, and postgraduate degrees that year. However, the number of graduates was relatively low that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And in 2022, 647,620 students completed their graduation. 

The data collection process for the number of graduates in 2023 is still ongoing. However, according to university reports, nearly 900,000 students earned higher degrees last year. Altogether, over 1.89 million young students have earned higher degrees from various universities in the past three years. 

Accurate data on the current employment status of these graduates is unavailable. However, an analysis of surveys conducted by universities, various government and private institutions, and organizations reveals that the majority of these graduates have yet to enter the job market. Those who have secured jobs are mostly employed in mid-level and private sector firms. 

According to data from the Bangladesh Labor Force Survey 2022, only 25.41 percent of the country’s highly educated population is engaged in formal employment. Experts say that the employment rate among recent graduates is even lower, with most of them remaining unemployed. They attribute this steep decline in employment among the educated population to a shrinking job market. Although the industrial sector has expanded, job creation has lagged far behind. 

Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director of Mutual Trust Bank, believes the number of unemployed has increased in recent years. He told Bonik Barta, “Instead of creating new jobs, the job market has shrinked during this period. We’ve seen large industries expand their factories but not increase their workforce. On the contrary, industrial groups have laid off employees. We are not reaping any benefits from the demographic dividend. Instead, the current unemployed youth will become a significant burden for the country by 2050.” 

Blaming the education system for this unemployment crisis, this banker added, “There is no shortage of job seekers, but there is a dearth of qualified workers. When we sit on interview boards for hiring at banks, we see that even highly educated youths struggle to communicate effectively or present themselves properly. The current generation wants everything instantly, without any long-term goals. I believe this reflects the failure of our education system.” 

Typically, jobs with legal protection and a structured framework fall under the formal employment sector. According to data from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2022, Bangladesh ranks seventh among the countries with the lowest formal employment rates globally. 

Private sector entrepreneurs point out that while the government is creating more jobs in the service sector, and the private sector is also expanding, there are efforts to make young people more competent through various initiatives. However, the challenge remains that every parent wants their child to have a desk job, overlooking the fact that other types of jobs are also honorable. Changing society’s mindset is crucial to resolving this issue. 

Ardashir Kabir, President of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF), told Bonik Barta, “Although we have made considerable economic progress, we are still essentially a third-world country. As the world moves forward, we must enhance our technological skills and usage to stay competitive with countries like China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We need to work closely with the private sector to align with market demands and improve the quality of our students through coordination with the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA). At the same time, we must create job opportunities. If we fail to do so, social instability will only increase.”

Currently, a large portion of the country’s youth is chasing government jobs. In many cases, job seekers are even applying for positions below their qualifications. Moreover, various movements are emerging centered around government jobs. Between last December and March, Bangladesh Railway hired 2,172 waymen in two phases. The primary responsibility of this fourth-class (Grade 19) position is to maintain the cleanliness of the railway tracks. Waymen also perform minor maintenance tasks, such as tightening nuts and bolts on the tracks. The job is labor-intensive, and the educational requirement is a secondary school certificate (SSC) or equivalent. However, in the latest recruitment process, everyone hired as a wayman holds a postgraduate degree.

It is not only the railway; similar occurrences are happening in other government jobs of this kind. Applicants say they prefer government jobs, even in lower positions, due to uncertainty in the private sector. One such individual is Shamim Islam (pseudonym), who completed his postgraduate degree in sociology from a public university and joined the same university as an office assistant-cum-computer operator. However, the educational requirement for this Grade 16 position is much lower. According to the job notice, the post required candidates to have only a higher secondary certificate (HSC).

Mamun Rashid, Chairman of Financial Excellence Limited, a financial consulting firm, told Bonik Barta, “Studies show that there is disguised unemployment in Bangladesh. Even those who find jobs are often not employed in positions that match their qualifications. Many graduates end up working in family businesses. For these students, the institution they attended doesn’t matter as long as they have a degree. Then, there’s another group that is only interested in the BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service). Our biggest obstacle is the quality of education. There’s no technical knowledge, no skill development, no hands-on training. As a result, many are unable to perform quality work.”

According to the 2022 annual report of the University Grants Commission (UGC), each year, around 12,000 students graduate in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and Information Technology (IT). However, the country’s IT industry hires only about 5,000 people annually. This means that each year, more than double the number of students graduate in these fields than there are job openings. Even so, relevant institutions are not finding workers according to their needs. This leads to a majority of graduates remaining unemployed for long periods due to a lack of skills and experience.

Employers in the job market complain that most students are graduating without even basic coding skills. As a result, they are unable to hire CSE and IT graduates in the required numbers despite demand. An observation by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also states that 80 percent of university graduates who pass these courses fail the written exams for jobs in basic coding, English, and mathematics.

When asked, Fahim Mashroor, employment expert and co-founder and CEO of Bdjobs.com, told Bonik Barta, “Higher education institutions are failing to produce quality graduates. This is affecting not only the youth but also employment, industries, and organizations. Often, we see graduates being considered incompetent in the job market, even after completing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Addressing this requires not only social awareness but also an increase in institutional capabilities.”

However, job seekers claim that due to the slow recruitment process for government jobs and the fact that most private sector jobs demand experience, they remain unemployed for long periods after completing their degrees or have to work for very low wages.

Bushra Islam completed her graduation in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) from a public university in 2021. She says, “The number of government job positions is very limited. It takes two to three years to complete the recruitment process, whether for BCS or almost any other government job. In the private sector, for jobs with good opportunities, most companies require experience, leaving fresh graduates like us with no chance. Because of this, we either have to remain unemployed for the first few years or work for nominal wages to gain experience.”

The number of recruitment recommendations made by government agencies each year is very insignificant compared to the number of highly educated youth. Currently, most government job recruitments are conducted through the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC). According to the organization’s annual report, PSC has recommended a total of 35,356 individuals for employment over the past three years. Of these, 17,646 were recommended in 2021, 4,595 in 2022, and 13,115 in 2023.

Dr. Md. Abdus Salam, professor at the Institute of Education and Research, University of Dhaka, told Bonik Barta, “The biggest weakness in employment in our country is that there is no planning for workforce preparation, and the education system has developed haphazardly. Here, jobs generally refer to simple employment opportunities. However, the purpose of education should be to ensure proper employment. This requires preparing for vocational, technical, social businesses, entrepreneurship, and technological employment. Without these, the situation for students will become even more dire in the future. At present, we have a new country, a new hope, and we must advance our youth with new plans and possibilities.”