Young job aspirants are facing unemployment despite their educational qualifications due to the rapid change in technology reducing their job prospects, as per staffing company TeamLease Digital.

As per the latest report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), two in three educated youth in India are jobless.

“Many young job aspirants, despite holding various degrees are unemployable due to various factors such as skills mismatch, industry relevance, mismatched expectations and lack of experience,” Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital told Republic Business.

As per the report, India’s youth accounts for about 83 per cent of the unemployed workforce.

The chunk of youngsters having secondary or higher education among the total number of unemployed has almost doubled, going up from 35.2 per cent in 2000 to 65.7 per cent in 2022, as per the ILO findings.

Sharma said a reason for high unemployment is also due to geographical constraints, as migration for every job is not ideal.

“Reduced job opportunities affect employment and dynamic changes in skill sets, as skills relevant today may not be required at a later point of time due to changing technologies.”

The lack of soft skills, particularly strong communication skills, problem solving, teamwork and adaptability skills also poses a challenge to employability among educated youngsters, she added.

Recommendations

The report highlights that there is huge potential for employment creation if it is supported by strategic investments, capacity-building initiatives and policy frameworks.

Apart from making production and growth more employment-intensive, the report recommends investing in sectors that are likely to be an important source of employment for young people, such as the digital economy and care sector, the ILO report recommends.

Sharma said addressing unemployability requires a multi-faceted approach that includes education reforms such as implementation of the NEP 2020.

Industry collaboration and exposure to job seekers through internships or apprenticeship-linked learning programs will make candidates more job ready,” she said.

Career guidance and counselling, continuous learning opportunities and efforts to bridge the gap between academia and industry requirements are some other measures that can boost employment among the educated youth, she added.

The report suggests that an inclusive urbanisation and migration policy needs to be created,as more and more youths aspire to seek decent education and employment opportunities inclined towards the urban areas.

“Job creations in Tier 2 and 3 cities will reduce unemployment among the educated youth,” Sharma pointed.

Notably, India is also among those countries from where significant international migration is taking place, with 3.5 million people migrated looking for work between 2010 and 2021.