<p>A staggering 6.63 lakh educated youth are hankering for jobs in Jammu and Kashmir and the numbers are rising with each passing day.</p>.<p>An extensive survey conducted by the J&K Department of Employment across all districts of the Union Territory between March and May 2022, in collaboration with district administrations revealed that as of May 31, 2022, there were 663,511 unemployed youth in the union territory (UT).</p>.<p>However, the survey says, 10-15 per cent of these individuals are self-employed, engaged in agricultural ventures, or run small businesses in their villages. Thus, the actual number of unemployed youth seeking employment stands at 563,984, the figures reveal.</p>.<p>According to the 2011 census, J&K’s population is 12.5 million. Since the private sector is almost negligible in the UT, the government is the main source of jobs in the organised sector.</p>.<p>The survey also said that the workforce in the UT out of a total population of 1.30 million (currently estimated) will be eight million. Therefore, the unemployment rate will be 7.04 per cent.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/strike-calls-a-thing-of-past-jammu-and-kashmir-l-g-1236922.html">Strike calls a thing of past: Jammu and Kashmir L-G</a></strong></p>.<p>Though unemployment is a social issue of serious concern at the national level, the UT like most of the states/UTs of the country has been facing the problem of unemployment for a long time, exacerbating social and economic challenges.</p>.<p>Senior CPM leader and former legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami says facts and figures clearly reflect that unemployment has reached levels never seen before. “The BJP government’s false narrative of investment and opening up new job opportunities stand exposed,” he told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>Tarigami said the joblessness, high inflation and family responsibilities are putting pressure on these unemployed youth, forcing them to take extreme steps in some cases.</p>.<p>Dr Farzana Gulzar, Associate Professor at Kashmir University’s Management Studies department says agriculture and allied activities which provide livelihood to over 70 per cent of J&K’s population are still running through traditional methods.</p>.<p>“The educated youth hardly take interest in agriculture as they believe in ‘decent pay decent work with minimum effort’ principle but unfortunately the agriculture sector doesn’t obey this principle,” she said.</p>.<p>Gulzar advocated for rationalizing the scheme of providing free education at all levels. “As higher education is directly related to the job search, the stress should be on vocational education leading to better placement in the job market. Financial literacy is another point which needs focus. Educated youth have got degrees and diplomas but they hardly know anything about investment and business know-how,” she added.</p>
<p>A staggering 6.63 lakh educated youth are hankering for jobs in Jammu and Kashmir and the numbers are rising with each passing day.</p>.<p>An extensive survey conducted by the J&K Department of Employment across all districts of the Union Territory between March and May 2022, in collaboration with district administrations revealed that as of May 31, 2022, there were 663,511 unemployed youth in the union territory (UT).</p>.<p>However, the survey says, 10-15 per cent of these individuals are self-employed, engaged in agricultural ventures, or run small businesses in their villages. Thus, the actual number of unemployed youth seeking employment stands at 563,984, the figures reveal.</p>.<p>According to the 2011 census, J&K’s population is 12.5 million. Since the private sector is almost negligible in the UT, the government is the main source of jobs in the organised sector.</p>.<p>The survey also said that the workforce in the UT out of a total population of 1.30 million (currently estimated) will be eight million. Therefore, the unemployment rate will be 7.04 per cent.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/strike-calls-a-thing-of-past-jammu-and-kashmir-l-g-1236922.html">Strike calls a thing of past: Jammu and Kashmir L-G</a></strong></p>.<p>Though unemployment is a social issue of serious concern at the national level, the UT like most of the states/UTs of the country has been facing the problem of unemployment for a long time, exacerbating social and economic challenges.</p>.<p>Senior CPM leader and former legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami says facts and figures clearly reflect that unemployment has reached levels never seen before. “The BJP government’s false narrative of investment and opening up new job opportunities stand exposed,” he told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>Tarigami said the joblessness, high inflation and family responsibilities are putting pressure on these unemployed youth, forcing them to take extreme steps in some cases.</p>.<p>Dr Farzana Gulzar, Associate Professor at Kashmir University’s Management Studies department says agriculture and allied activities which provide livelihood to over 70 per cent of J&K’s population are still running through traditional methods.</p>.<p>“The educated youth hardly take interest in agriculture as they believe in ‘decent pay decent work with minimum effort’ principle but unfortunately the agriculture sector doesn’t obey this principle,” she said.</p>.<p>Gulzar advocated for rationalizing the scheme of providing free education at all levels. “As higher education is directly related to the job search, the stress should be on vocational education leading to better placement in the job market. Financial literacy is another point which needs focus. Educated youth have got degrees and diplomas but they hardly know anything about investment and business know-how,” she added.</p>
