ISLAMABAD (WEB DESK)
Research conducted by Gallup Pakistan and PRIDE, using data from the Labour Force Survey 2020-21 shows that 21.8 million youth (aged 15-29) is neither in education, nor in training and nor in employment.
Gallup Pakistan & PRIDE have joined hands to analyze and disseminate useful and policy relevant economic and social data for wider policy circles in Pakistan.
Bilal Gilani, Executive Director at Gallup Pakistan explains the collaboration ‘Pakistan does not have a dearth of data but a shortage of both usable data as well as data analysts who can unlock the vast amounts of data already collected. for past many decades, we hope to plug this issue.’
The current series of Reports would be looking at Labour Force Survey 2020-21 which is a large-scale survey conducted with close to 96,000 Pakistanis, conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Key Findings:
- Analysis of data from the most recent round of Labour Force Survey for 2020-21 reveals that out of the total youth population (aged 15-29 years) of 58.6 million, 21.8 million were neither enrolled in school or a training institute nor in any type of employment (NEET). This translates into a NEET rate of 37%.
- Gender disaggregation shows a substantially higher NEET rate for young women compared to men (62% vs. 12%). The region-wise analysis indicates a slightly higher NEET rate in urban areas in comparison to rural areas (38.1% vs. 36.7%).
- The province-wise NEET rate shows that the NEET rate is highest in Balochistan at 43.5%, followed closely by KP (43.1%), while it is lowest in Punjab (34%).
- In Punjab, the NEET rate varies from 30.5% for DG Khan division to 36.9% in Gujranwala division. In Sindh, this rate is the lowest in Larkana division, at 34% and highest in Hyderabad division, at 42%. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it ranges from a low of 38.6% in Hazara division to a high of 50.4% in Kohat division. In Balochistan, this rate is the lowest in Nasirabad division (30.8%) and highest in Kalat division (51.4%).
Survey:
The concept of NEET, defined specifically with respect to young people, refers to the young population not in education, employment, or training. This indicator basically serves as a broader measure of potential youth labour market entrants that remain under-utilized, in comparison to the youth unemployment rate. Youth not in employment, nor in education or training represents an important vulnerable population segment that faces the risk of becoming socially excluded in the later phases of their life, as they would lack the qualifications or skills to secure productive employment.
Analysis of data from the Labour Force Survey for 2020-21 reveals that out of the total youth population (aged 15-29 years) of 58.6 million, 21.8 million were neither enrolled in school nor in any type of employment and nor involved in any training activity (Tables 1 & 2), translating into a NEET rate of 37.2% (Figure 1). The gender disaggregation shows a substantially higher NEET rate for young women compared to men (62% vs. 12%). The region-wise analysis indicates a slightly higher NEET rate in urban areas in comparison to rural areas (38.1% vs. 36.7%).
Table 1: Youth (aged 15-29 years) population in Pakistan, by province/region (in million)
|
Punjab
|
Sindh
|
KP
|
Balochistan
|
ICT
|
Pakistan
|
|
|
Overall
|
31.6
|
13.2
|
9.8
|
3.4
|
0.6
|
58.6
|
|
Male
|
15.4
|
6.8
|
4.9
|
1.8
|
0.3
|
29.2
|
|
Female
|
16.2
|
6.4
|
4.9
|
1.6
|
0.3
|
29.4
|
|
Rural
|
19.6
|
6.5
|
8.2
|
2.4
|
0.3
|
36.9
|
|
Urban
|
12.1
|
6.7
|
1.6
|
1.0
|
0.3
|
21.7
|
Table 2: Youth NEET population and Rate in Pakistan, by province/ region (in million)
|
Punjab
|
Sindh
|
KP
|
Balochistan
|
ICT
|
Pakistan
|
|
|
Overall
|
10.8
(34%)
|
5.2
(39.4%)
|
4.2
(43.1%)
|
1.5
(43.5%)
|
0.17
(27.3%)
|
21.8
(37.2%)
|
|
Male
|
1.9
(12.3%)
|
0.7
(10.6%)
|
0.6
(12.8%)
|
0.2
(13.8%)
|
0.04
(12.8%)
|
3.6
(12.2%)
|
|
Female
|
8.8
(54.3%)
|
4.5
(70%)
|
3.6
(72.8%)
|
1.2
(77.6%)
|
0.13
(44.7%)
|
18.2
(62.0%)
|
|
Rural
|
6.4
(32.7%)
|
2.5
(38.1%)
|
3.6
(43.5%)
|
1.0
(43%)
|
0.09
(30.4%)
|
13.5
(36.7%)
|
|
Urban
|
4.4
(36.4%)
|
2.7
(40.8%)
|
0.7
(40.7%)
|
0.4
(44.7%)
|
0.08
(24.4%)
|
8.3
(38.1%)
|
Note: The figures in parenthesis are provincial and national NEET rate in percent.
The province-wise NEET population is highest in Punjab (10.8 million), while the NEET rate is highest in case of Balochistan, at 43.5% where 1.5 million young males and females are NEET (Tables 2). In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, NEET rate is 43.1% based on a youth NEET population of 4.2 million. The NEET rate for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) is relatively lowest rate across the country (27.3%) with a NEET population of just 0.2 million out of a young population of 0.6 million.
NEET rate for various divisions of the Punjab province is shown in Table 3. The analysis show that the NEET rate varies from as low as 30.5% for DG Khan division to as high as 36.9% for Gujranwala division. The highest NEET rate in respect of male youth is in Rawalpindi division, at 17.9%, while this rate is lowest for the male youth in Sahiwal division, at 7.9%. the highest NEET rate for young females in Punjab is for Lahore division, at 57.1%, while this rate is the lowest for the young females of Multan division, at 50%.
A comparison of the NEET rate in respect of rural areas of Punjab divisions show that this rate is highest in case of Sargodha division, at 36.3% and lowest in case of Bahawalpur division, at 29.5%. In case of urban areas of Punjab province, NEET for urban areas of Gujranwala is the highest, at 39.3%, and lowest for Sahiwal Division, at 33.7%.
Table 3: NEET Rate for the divisions in Punjab province, by Gender and region (%)
|
NEET
|
DG Khan
|
Sargodha
|
Rawalpindi
|
Sahiwal
|
Bahawalpur
|
Faisalabad
|
Multan
|
Gujranwala
|
Lahore
|
|
Overall
|
30.5
|
36.8
|
35.7
|
32.4
|
31.2
|
33.5
|
33.5
|
36.9
|
34.2
|
|
Male
|
9.6
|
14.3
|
17.9
|
7.9
|
8.3
|
11.7
|
15.2
|
15.2
|
12.2
|
|
Female
|
50.7
|
55.9
|
53.3
|
55.2
|
53.1
|
55.4
|
50.0
|
55.6
|
57.1
|
|
Rural
|
29.6
|
36.3
|
34.6
|
32.0
|
29.5
|
31.3
|
32.6
|
35.4
|
34.2
|
|
Urban
|
34.4
|
38.5
|
37.4
|
33.7
|
36.0
|
36.9
|
35.8
|
39.3
|
34.2
|
In Sindh province, the youth NEET rate is seen to be the lowest in Larkana division, at 34% and highest in Hyderabad division at 42% (Table 4). The NEET rate is highest for young males in Karachi division (13.5%) while, for young females, this rate is highest in Hyderabad division (74.4%).
Table 4: NEET Rate for the divisions in Sindh province, by Gender and region (%)
|
NEET
|
Sukkur
|
Larkana
|
Mirpurkhas
|
Shaheed Benazirabad
|
Hyderabad
|
Karachi
|
|
Overall
|
41.2
|
34.0
|
38.0
|
36.1
|
42.0
|
40.6
|
|
Male
|
11.0
|
7.4
|
9.0
|
7.6
|
10.4
|
13.5
|
|
Female
|
72.4
|
62.3
|
69.6
|
67.6
|
74.4
|
70.0
|
|
Rural
|
39.5
|
30.8
|
38.6
|
34.3
|
42.6
|
44.7
|
|
Urban
|
44.0
|
41.3
|
35.7
|
40.5
|
41.1
|
40.3
|
In case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the youth NEET rate ranges from a low of 38.6% in Hazara division to a high of 50.4% in Kohat division (Table 5). The NEET rate is highest for young males in Kohat division (18.8%) while, for young females, this rate is highest in DI Khan division (85.6%). NEET rate in rural and urban KP is found to be the highest in Kohat division (50.9% and 47.2%).
Table 5: NEET Rate for the divisions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, by Gender and region (%)
|
NEET
|
DI Khan
|
Bannu
|
Hazara
|
Kohat
|
Malakand
|
Mardan
|
Peshawar
|
|
Overall
|
44.4
|
41.0
|
38.6
|
50.4
|
47.2
|
39.7
|
40.4
|
|
Male
|
10.8
|
11.4
|
14.3
|
18.8
|
15.3
|
10.9
|
9.4
|
|
Female
|
85.6
|
70.0
|
61.5
|
77.2
|
79.2
|
66.4
|
71.3
|
|
Rural
|
44.5
|
41.2
|
39.5
|
50.9
|
47.5
|
38.6
|
41.3
|
|
Urban
|
44.1
|
34.8
|
30.6
|
47.2
|
45.2
|
45.4
|
38.4
|
In case of Balochistan province, the NEET rate is observed to be lowest (30.8%) in Nasirabad division and highest (51.4%) in Kalat division (Table 6). The NEET rate is highest for both young males and young females in Kalat division (16.9% and 87.5% respectively) while, NEET for rural Kalat is also found to be the highest (53.1%) among all the divisions of the province. NEET rate in urban Balochistan is found to be the highest in Makran division (49.6%).
Table 6: NEET Rate for the divisions in Balochistan division, by Gender and region (%)
|
NEET
|
Kalat
|
Makran
|
Nasirabad
|
Sibi
|
Zhob
|
Quetta
|
|
Overall
|
51.4
|
46.5
|
30.8
|
36.9
|
45.1
|
43.0
|
|
Male
|
16.9
|
9.9
|
10.2
|
16.2
|
13.2
|
14.6
|
|
Female
|
87.5
|
82.0
|
53.8
|
64.3
|
81.3
|
79.4
|
|
Rural
|
53.1
|
44.9
|
27.1
|
35.0
|
45.9
|
43.5
|
|
Urban
|
47.9
|
49.6
|
43.5
|
43.5
|
40.1
|
42.1
|
The preceding analysis highlights higher NEET rate for young women as compared to men across all provinces, as well as in all divisions, with the gender gap in the NEET rate being the highest in KP and Balochistan and lowest in ICT. There are several reasons behind the high NEET rate for women in Pakistan, which include cultural norms as well as care responsibilities, which severally limits women’s mobility. On the supply side, limited facilities at work place, harassment issues, low return to education, lack of market relevant quality education and mismatch of education and skills with labour market, and access are some important causes.
In contrast to young people who are actively seeking work (the unemployed youth), the NEET (inactive) group is usually overlooked by policymakers, in terms of targeted support and intervention to encourage their re-engagement in education, employment or training. The policy makers need to design targeted support and interventions to enable young women to effectively fulfill their care responsibilities while, at the same time, fulfill their ambitions to contribute to the society. An important policy and program intervention can be aimed towards building capacity of young females in management of household responsibilities.
For young mothers who are NEET, major barriers to engaging in education, employment or training include lack of affordable childcare; a reluctance to leave their children; lack of access to transport; and lack of appropriate employment and training opportunities.
The lowering of the NEET rate for youth represents an important commitment on the part of the government under the SDGs in the coming years. Therefore, there is an urgent need for devising policies and programs for bringing the youth who are neither in education, employment or training into the national mainstream.