𝐔𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲- 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

…𝑫𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑸𝑳𝑭𝑺 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒂𝒑𝒔, 𝑼𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒏-𝑹𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑬𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑼𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔

By Susmika Subba

In its latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey 2023 Report, the National Statistics Bureau has presented a comprehensive analysis of the unemployment landscape in 2023 on an international news writing standard.

The report discloses that the overall unemployment rate for 2023 is 3.5% (CI 2.82-4.22). However, a notable gender disparity is evident, with females experiencing a higher unemployment rate of 4.5%, almost double the rate for males at 2.7%.

Urban areas demonstrate a higher unemployment rate of 6.2%, sharply contrasting with the 1.9% rate in rural areas. Among urban females, the unemployment rate spikes to 9.7%, highlighting the urban-centric nature of youth unemployment challenges. Divergent unemployment rates are observed among Dzongkhags/Thromdes, with Thimphu Thromde having the highest unemployment rate at 8.1%, followed by Thimphu (5.2%) and Samdrup Jongkhar (4.9%).

Conversely, Wangdue Phodrang (0.3%) has the lowest unemployment rate, followed by Dagana (0.4%) and Gasa Dzongkhags, each with an unemployment rate of 0.5%. In most Dzongkhags, the female unemployment rate surpasses that of males, except in Dagana, Samdrup Jongkhar, Sarpang, Thimphu, and Tsirang.

Within the overall working-age population, the country reports an unemployment rate of 3.5%. Delving deeper, the unemployment-to-population ratio stands at 2.2%, further dissected into 2.0% for males and 2.6% for females.
Significantly, urban areas exhibit a markedly higher ratio of 3.9%, in stark contrast to rural areas where the ratio is a mere 1.3%. This threefold difference stresses the distinct employment dynamics between urban and rural settings.

An examination of Dzongkhags/Thromde provides a nuanced perspective on regional variations. Thimphu Thromde leads with the highest unemployment-to-population ratio at 5.2%. Gelegphu Thromde follows closely at 4.2%, while Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde and Thimphu boast ratios of 3.8% and 3.3%, respectively. In contrast, Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag emerges as an outlier with the lowest ratio at a mere 0.2%.

The report emphasizes the correlation between educational attainment and unemployment. Those with a bachelor’s degree face the highest unemployment rate at 12.1%, followed by Certificate/Diploma holders (11.3%). Interestingly, individuals with no formal education exhibit a notably low unemployment rate of 0.5%.

A gender-specific analysis reveals that females across all educational levels experience higher unemployment rates than males. Females with a Certificate/Diploma face an unemployment rate of 23.6%, while males experience a rate of 6.0%. For those with a bachelor’s degree, the unemployment rate is 9.7% for males and 16.5% for females. Similarly, females with Higher Secondary education have an unemployment rate of 10.9%, compared to 7.3% for males.

The report accentuates the significance of addressing youth unemployment, given the pivotal role the youth demographic plays in the country’s socio-economic development. The youth unemployment rate for 2023 in the age group of 15-24 years is estimated at 15.9% (CI 12.47-20.20). A notable gender disparity is evident, with males experiencing a lower rate of 13.4% compared to females at 18.3%.

Youth unemployment manifests differently in urban and rural settings. Urban areas bear the brunt with a staggering rate of 23.9%, more than double the rate observed in rural areas at 9.4%. This urban-centric phenomenon accentuates the unique challenges faced by young job seekers in metropolitan regions.

Within the broader unemployment landscape, youth significantly contribute. The share of youth unemployed in total unemployment stands at 50.6%. This implies that for every 100 unemployed individuals, approximately 51 are youth. The gender breakdown reveals a higher contribution from females at 53.5%, while males account for 47.0%.

The youth unemployment-to-population ratio, a metric considering the entire youth population, is calculated at 5.0%. Notably, there is a slight gender difference in the ratio, with young males at 4.2% and females at 5.7%.