The number of unemployed people in the country has increased to about three million, with the addition of 75,000 people during the year 2009-10, according to an official survey. The Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2009-10, released on June 2, shows that unemployment in the country rose to 5.6 per cent of the total workforce.

The ratio was 5.5 per cent in the survey of 2008-09, according to the survey of Federal Bureau of Statistics. With that, the total number of unemployed citizens rose to 3.05 million against 2.93 million in the preceding year.

One of the significant issues is unemployment. According to the Pakistan Integrated Household Survey 2001-02, Balochistan has the highest number of poor people with 48 per cent and the worst in rural areas with 51 per cent living below the poverty line.

There are only 32 utility stores throughout the province whereas Islamabad alone has 34 utility stores.  The unemployment rate in Balochistan province is recorded at 33.4 per cent as compared to 26.8 per cent in the NWFP, 19.1 per cent in Punjab and 14.4 per cent in Sindh. So, in Balochistan 90 per cent of the people, whether literate or illiterate, are jobless.

Unemployment is leading people to a crisis: many either commit suicide or sell their organs, take recourse to stealing and indulge in addiction. The government must take action. The youth is disillusioned and they need utmost attention.

AZIZ HASILKech