Unemployment problems

Unemployment Problems Dr.S.S.Verma Department of Physics, S.L.I.E.T., Longowal, Distt.-Sangrur (Punjab)-148 106; E-mail: ssverma@fastmail.fm

Education is a very good thing and one must be educated but the irony of it is that when we offer educations to young people we are not in position to offer jobs to them. This is the very cause of disappointment among our educated youths. As regards educated persons, possessing technical qualifications, they tend to be frustrated when they do not find employment despite their best qualifications. There cannot be two opinions that they find their employment very easily on the merits of their technical qualifications, but according to the increasing number of such educated persons, they also become victims of unemployment. Educated youth and his/her parents can only feel the growing problem of unemployment in the country at present. Students spend a lot of time on their degrees and ultimately realize that these degrees are not going to provide a passport into the government or private sector jobs. According to official reports, the unemployment amongst the graduate youth that happened to be at 19.4 per cent in 2011-2012 increased to 32 per cent during 2012-2013. International Labour Organization (ILO) on May 8th, 2013 has estimated that nearly 75 million youth were unemployed around the world and global youth unemployment rate is projected at 12.6 per cent. But these are just the figures, the real scenario is much worst. At present, for one post, thousands of youth with much higher qualifications than desired ones are competing. Economic slowdown pain is quite visible and there is anyways less number of jobs because of the economy slowdown and as a result of this many youths are failing to get jobs. According to the Labour Bureau survey further shows that every one person out of three persons who is holding a graduation degree and above in the age group 15-29 years is found to be unemployed. Problem of unemployment is not restricted to educational backgrounds (type of degrees) but it is rampant in all vocational and professional degrees also. It is not that youth with simple (academic and theoretical subjects) degrees are worst hit of unemployment than those of their counterparts equipped with technical and employment-related courses.

India has experienced a higher education revolution in the past decade, with the number of young people completing university degrees rising from a few hundred thousand a year to many millions. Dramatic expansion of university education should have provided new graduates with opportunities unheard of in their parents' generation but it has not happened and neither seems to be happening in future also. Instead, with an alarming rise in the number of unemployed and under-employed graduates, a large group of educated young people are becoming alienated, unable to become part of the growing society. Universities and colleges turn out five million new 1

graduates each year and majority of them are unable to find a job. In the past, India was seen as the country of the bus conductor with a BA. Now it is the country of the MA manual labourer. It has got so much worse. It is a revolution of rising aspirations and the economy can't keep pace.

Rising joblessness among new university graduates is creating an army of educated unemployed that some fear could destabilize the social fabric of nations.

Unemployment scenario is same for government and private jobs. Of course getting employed with lowest wedges, no future prospects and odd working hours in private sector is a different solution. It is not that there are no job opportunities, but number of opportunities is very-2 less than the prospective candidates with higher qualifications along with inherent deterrents like nepotism and corruption. As stated in various reports, the unemployment rate amongst the educated youths reportedly increased with increase in their education level. Young people waiting for opportunities that never arrive have been dubbed as the "timepass" generation. Such a generation is termed as an army of bored young graduates, marking time and detached from the world. Their parents are on their backs wanting them to get a job. But they are losing the confidence to be able to compete for the small number of jobs that are emerging in India. The "ant tribe" refers to the army of under-employed or underpaid graduates unable to fulfill their ambitions. Unemployment in rural areas among graduates and above for the age group 15-29 years is more worst than their urban counterparts. Unemployment rate amongst rural youth is still invisible as most of the rural educated youth migrate to urban areas to struggle to get a job.

Reasons of unemployment • The main cause of unemployment is the repaid growth of populations. Since independence the populations of India has increased by threes times its total. When people multiply, there raises the problems of unemployment and it becomes difficult for government to provide employment to a sufficient number of people.

• It is generally blamed that educated youth despite having higher degrees don’t have required skill set for the job. The problem of unemployment is rising but still many industries are facing the problem of skilled candidate for their company.

• Over capacity in educational institutions is another common excuse because the number of institutions and students far outnumber available vacancies in the market. It is said that every year lakhs of professional and non-professional degree holders pass out from their colleges.

• Educated youth are advised to change their mind also and they should think of selfemployment, rather than searching jobs and services hither and they’re wasting their energy.

In this way very serious problem of unemployment may be saved to a great extent.

• Corruption, nepotism, inflation, economic recession, slow industrial growth, long service period and re-employment • Many employers give preference to the experienced candidates only and not the fresher.

• Number of new government jobs is decreasing every year and government is not able to create enough jobs keeping in mind the population.

• Earlier for a task hundreds or thousand people were required to do a work but now due to the advanced technology only one person can do many people’s work. With the advanced technology companies are hiring few persons to operate the machine. Automations and use of robots has cut off the employment avenues.

Words of caution 2

So far, unemployment graduates in the country are supposed to be calm and still generally optimistic believing there are still jobs out there and sooner or later they will get one. At the ground level educated India's underemployed young people are not often firebrand radicals. It is a surprise that they are not angrier as in the case of Arab Spring youth. Nonetheless there is disappointment and the educated unemployed have become detached from wider society. They are adjusting their expectations rather than taking radical action. Grievances are accumulating but these young people are not yet ready for confrontation with the authorities. But there is a warning against complacency on the part of authorities. A sharp economic downturn combined with rampant corruption which makes many graduates feel they are being shut out of jobs and that merit matters little could trigger it. With an increasing perception that the system isn't fulfilling their expectations is causing a lot of unhappiness. In particular, a view is widespread among both "timepass" youth and the "ant tribe" that jobs only go to those with political connections, rather than qualifications or skills. If the youth bulge fails to become economically active, the country will remain a low-income economy with pockets of prosperity rather than even growth. As a matter of principle it becomes the duty of government to provide employment to all as far as possible and government has to take keen interest to solve this serious problem of today.

Problems of unemployment • Unemployment among youth could certainly be a very important source of unrest in the country. If unemployment problem is not solved sooner, a social revolution may take plea to have its solution.

• Unemployment problem and lack of career directions has made the present generation a generation at risk and vulnerable to many social ills like drugs, thefts, depression, fanaticism, terrorism, naxalism and many more.

• A ticking time-bomb of unemployed and under-employed youth is unable to contribute to the economy.

• Unemployment and poverty goes side by side. The problem of unemployment gives rise to the problem of poverty.

• Unemployed youths accept suicide as the last option of their life.

• Unemployment will also affect the youth mentally as well as physically • One in two young people who join a rebel movement cites unemployment as the main reason for doing so and many countries have already suffered civil wars driven by a combustible mix of ethnic divisions, predatory elites, corruption and competition for the profits from natural resources, today it is unemployment that is seen as a major risk to stability.

Possible out ways • The very first solution for the unemployment is to control the rising population of our country. Government should motivate people to have small families.

• Country’s leadership and planners have to understand that unemployment could fuel unrest of the kind that will lead towards social/civil wars.

• The quality of Indian education should be improved and government should keep a strict watch on the education system and try to implement new ways to generate skilled labour force.

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Also today’s youth should join the institute or select the course where proper training is given and the course is as per the current industries requirements. Take the course as per your interest and which will bright your future.

Government should encourage and develop the agriculture based industries in rural areas so that the rural candidates don’t migrate to the urban areas. More employment should be generated in rural areas.

Rapid Industrialization should be created.

Government should allow more foreign companies to open their unit in India, so that more employment opportunities will be available.

Conclusion The unemployment problem, especially among the educated youth of India, should be given a serious consideration to by the government, as the youth of today is to be the pillar of the nation in future. If the rising generation is demoralized and degenerated and its spirit and fervor are chilled under the impact of unemployment, our country will not be able to make any substantial advance in future. As a result of massive unemployment there is poverty and increase in social evils like robbery, crime etc. The social consequences of the educated unemployed are quite serious. Many thieves, pickpockets, smugglers, drug traffickers etc. take up these activities because they are unable to find employment. The frustration of unemployed youth can also lead to terrorism. The highly educated unemployed have anger against society for their state of affairs. They feel that if this system cannot meet their aspirations for getting proper jobs it should be destroyed. This leads them to take to organized violence against the state. Terrorism in many parts of the country is largely a result of the large number of educated unemployed youth in these states, among other factors. Although many jobs have been created, there have not been enough to accommodate the number of young people in search of work. Grievances among the young are most likely to be expressed violently, if non-violent political channels are not adequate or responsive, and these grievances revolve around unemployment, involving considerations of both income and social cohesion. Maximizing the impact of a stronger private sector and economic growth on youth employment requires intelligent policies based on a sound understanding of the issues that the young face in finding, and holding on to, suitable employment opportunities.

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