A staggering rise in the share of urban Bangladeshi youth who finished college and no commensurate increase in the share of ‘white-collar’ jobs could be a major reason for the violent protests by students in the country’s cities, data show.
The mass protests, which started in Dhaka and spread across Bangladesh, were led by students. They initially protested against the return of the 30% quota in government jobs for the descendants of those who fought in the 1971 War. When the regime responded with a harsh crackdown, they began demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. On August 5, she resigned and fled the country.
Chart 1 shows the share of the urban population in Bangladesh aged 15 or above, who completed tertiary education, in FY17 and FY22. In just five years, the share of those who completed tertiary education surged from 11.5% to 18.3% among men and from 5.9% to 11% among women.
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Chart 2 shows the occupation-wise share of the employed population in Bangladesh aged 15 or above, in FY17 and FY22. In FY17, 11.8% of those employed were managers and professionals. This barely increased to 12% in FY22. The share of those employed in ‘blue-collar’ work such as craft and related trade (including garments-related work) and elementary jobs came down slightly (a 2-3% point decline). The only commensurate increase in ‘white-collar’ work was among technicians, clerks, and associate professionals (by 3.8% points).
The share of those employed in skilled agriculture and allied work and as plant and machine operators increased in the period. Put together, while the share of those who completed college surged in recent years, not many students got jobs proportionate to their level of education.
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Chart 3 shows the labour force participation rate (LFPR) of those aged 15 or above and who completed tertiary education, in FY17 and FY22. LFPR is the share of the working age population that is either working or looking for work. The LFPR among men who completed college decreased from 88.6% to 77.5% and for women, from 50.9% to 34.9%. This hints at the possibility that college-educated youth stopped looking for work due to the lack of relevant jobs.
Chart 4 shows the share of unemployed college-educated urban youth (aged 15–29) in the total unemployed population, in FY17 and FY22. The share of unemployed college-educated urban men in the total unemployed population increased from 20.8% to 27.3%; and for women, from 16.9% to 40.1%. So, not only did the LFPR among the college-educated decline, but their share in the unemployed population increased too.
Chart 5 shows the average monthly income in urban areas, by occupation (in Bangladeshi Taka), in FY17 and FY22. The average income of professionals and technicians/associate professionals decreased between the two periods, even in absolute terms, while the income levels of all other groups increased. So, even those college-educated youth who managed to find ‘white-collar’ jobs in urban areas in 2022 were earning less than what college-educated youth earned five years ago, even in absolute terms, without considering the effect of inflation.
Chart 6 shows the share of urban youth (15-29) Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), in FY17 and FY22. It nearly doubled among men (from 7.4% to 14.4%). This shows that the share of urban youth who are neither getting education nor gainful employment is surging in Bangladesh.
Also read: Reign of chaos: On Bangladesh’s most tumultuous phase
