The pitch was devoid of athletes. No one was observed bowling or kicking a ball. In Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, however, there were more than 30,000 spectators seated in the largest stadium. It was a warning of Pakistan’s dire unemployment situation.
Announcements on a microphone brought cheers from the large crowd of aspirants that had turned up at the Jinnah Sports Stadium, all of whom were looking to secure a job with Islamabad’s police force. Reportedly almost 32,000 people were sitting in stands and on the grounds at the stadium for a written entrance test. Though the large crowds turned up to try and secure a spot on the force, only 1,167 positions were available.
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According to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), more than 31 percent of the country’s youth are unemployed, news agency ANI said citing The Express Tribune’s report from February 2022. PIDE also said that an unexpectedly sizable portion of people of working age is not even employed. According to the research, they are either discouraged workers or have other sources of income.
A majority of these unemployed youth have professional degrees, with 51 per cent of the lot being females and 16 per cent males. According to ANI, about 60 per cent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30. It further said that the current account deficit of Pakistan now represents 5.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is anticipated that the fiscal imbalance will increase to 8.2 per cent of GDP.
