The government claims that the unemployment rate has dropped to 2.1 percent this year. Presenting the Labour Force Survey in the National Assembly today, the labour and human resources’ minister, Dorji Wangdi, said the drop in the rate has surpassed the government’s target of 2.5 percent.
The unemployment rate was at 4 percent in 2009. It dropped to 3.3 percent in the following year. By 2011, it was at 3.1 percent. This year the rate dropped to 2.1 percent.
A month ago, the labour minister had said significant reduction in the unemployment rate cannot be expected. “It can be marginally lower or at the same rate, could even go higher because the odds are increasing by leaps and bounds and therefore to make a big headway towards reduction of the figure is very difficult,” he had said.
Now, the minister says the jobs available in the market are exceeding the number of job seekers. He says, they have more than 8,500 vacancies as against 7,000 registered job seekers registered with the ministry this year.
However, the Lyonpo said it would be difficult to reduce the unemployment rate further. “This year there are 20,000 graduates. Next year it will be 21,000 of them. So with the increasing number of students, it would be impossible to reduce further. Yet we will make sure we maintain less than 2.5 in years to come.”
The Wamrong MP, Lhatu Tshering, during the ‘Question Hour’ asked the labour minister if the government is doing anything about the mismatch of skills and jobs available in the market.
“Proving training to the job seekers as per the demand in the market is one of the tools we have put in place. We also ask the students not to join the job market as soon as they pass out,” said Lyonpo Dorji Wangdi. Instead, he said, they are encouraging the graduates to gain experiences though trainings. “This can help them enhance their skills not just through the government institutions but also through the private agencies.”
Youth unemployment rate has decreased to 7.3 percent from 9.2 percent last year, according to the Labour Force Survey.
