Unemployment Situation in Bangladesh: The problem of unemployment in Bangladesh may not appear to be as serious as it is. According to statistics, the unemployment rate is low but the reality is far different. The previous government of Bangladesh (the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) relied on international definitions and standards to measure labor data in the country, which is more than four decades old and was used to show a positive picture of low unemployment and an improved labor market. Done for show.
However, the data presented by the State Run Statistics Bureau shows a favorable ranking at the global level. But experts warn that this situation is undermining all the plans and efforts of Bangladesh to generate employment.
Bangladesh is ignoring global standards
Ignoring global standards, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is still using the 13th International Conference of Labor Statisticians (ICLS) of 1982 instead of the latest 19th version of 2013. Let us tell you that ICLS is a global standard setting body which is organized every five years by the International Labor Organization (ILO). However, now most of the countries in the world use the 19th ICLS for accurate and up-to-date data.
what is the unemployment rate
For example, according to the last report of the Labor Force Survey of 2022, the 13th ICLS, the unemployment rate in Bangladesh was 3.5 percent or 25.8 million people. But using the 19th ICLS, the unemployment rate will increase to 5.9 percent. Apart from this, if the latest standard is adopted then the unemployment rate among the youth will increase from 8 percent to 17.7 percent. At the same time, BBS also uses a different age range for youth and working age people, different from international standards.
