Youth Unemployment in Balochistan (Ages 15-29)
PRIDE Consulting estimated the series of youth (ages 15-29) using microdata from various issues of the Labour Force Survey. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) conducted 14 rounds of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) between 2001-02 and 2020-21. Values for six missing years, during which the LFS was not conducted, have been interpolated (indicated as underlined) to create a consistent time series.
Key Insight: The unemployment rate of youth (15-29) in Balochistan has significantly declined from 14.22% in 2001-02 to 8.45% in 2020-21, showing an overall decrease of 5.77 percentage points. Female unemployment, which was extremely high at 43.08% in 2001-02, saw a dramatic decline to 7.85% in 2020-21, marking a 35.23 percentage point reduction, while male unemployment dropped more moderately from 11.78% to 8.56%. Rural areas saw a greater improvement (-6.21 percentage points) compared to urban areas (-7.78 percentage points), though urban youth still face higher unemployment rates compared to rural youth.
Unemployment Rate of Youth (15-29), Balochistan (2001-02 to 2020-21)
| Years | Overall | Female | Male | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 14.22 | 43.08 | 11.78 | 12.20 | 23.63 |
| 2002-03 | 13.92 | 35.41 | 11.81 | 11.71 | 22.95 |
| 2003-04 | 13.62 | 27.73 | 11.83 | 11.22 | 22.27 |
| 2004-05 | 9.39 | 17.84 | 8.32 | 7.52 | 16.24 |
| 2005-06 | 5.16 | 7.95 | 4.81 | 3.82 | 10.21 |
| 2006-07 | 4.00 | 12.79 | 2.70 | 3.12 | 7.42 |
| 2007-08 | 3.91 | 12.07 | 3.00 | 3.13 | 6.90 |
| 2008-09 | 2.93 | 11.90 | 1.79 | 2.34 | 5.14 |
| 2009-10 | 3.67 | 8.26 | 3.10 | 3.24 | 5.34 |
| 2010-11 | 6.49 | 9.25 | 6.17 | 5.20 | 10.67 |
| 2011-12 | 7.08 | 8.06 | 6.97 | 5.65 | 11.80 |
| 2012-13 | 7.66 | 6.87 | 7.76 | 6.10 | 12.92 |
| 2013-14 | 8.04 | 10.49 | 7.75 | 7.24 | 10.40 |
| 2014-15 | 6.81 | 12.20 | 5.31 | 6.49 | 7.90 |
| 2015-16 | 7.50 | 17.86 | 5.67 | 6.79 | 9.77 |
| 2016-17 | 8.19 | 23.52 | 6.03 | 7.09 | 11.64 |
| 2017-18 | 8.87 | 29.18 | 6.39 | 7.40 | 13.51 |
| 2018-19 | 9.33 | 11.60 | 8.86 | 6.58 | 18.43 |
| 2019-20 | 8.89 | 9.73 | 8.71 | 6.29 | 17.14 |
| 2020-21 | 8.45 | 7.85 | 8.56 | 5.99 | 15.85 |
| Difference/range* | -5.77 | -35.23 | -3.22 | -6.21 | -7.78 |
Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Labour Force Survey, various issues.
*Difference/range between latest to oldest year (2020-21 to 2001-02).
Note: PBS conducted 14 rounds of LFS during 2001-02 to 2020-21. Values of six missing years when LFS was not conducted have been interpolated (underlined) to make a consistent time series.