‘Get a degree – and your life will be all good’. These promises have echoed around me since childhood. Now, here I stand, with a degree in hand from a reputed university, and I see the actual fight begins here.
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES
‘Get a degree – and your life will be all good’. These promises have echoed around me since childhood. Now, here I stand, with a degree in hand from a reputed university, and I see the actual fight begins here.
And I am not the only one. Thousands of young men and women graduate annually from Pakistani universities in diverse fields with high expectations and escalating career aspirations. However, the employment market tells a different story -- one of mismatches, underemployment and disillusionment.
Years of education, extensive classroom hours, and the burden of rising tuition fees, yet many graduates cannot find employment relevant to their field of study. Many are either unemployed or working jobs unrelated to their academic background. The country’s broader education-to-employment pipeline appears clogged, if not broken.
According to the Labour Force Survey 2023–24, unemployment among Pakistan’s graduates remains disproportionately high. While the overall unemployment rate hovers around 8.0 per cent, estimates suggest the figure for graduates is closer to 14 per cent, particularly in urban centres. The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) notes that nearly 30 per cent of Pakistan’s unemployed population holds at least a bachelor’s degree.
This disconnect between higher education and employability is more structural than statistical. A significant part of the problem lies in outdated, theory-based curricula still prevalent in many Pakistani universities. A study in the International Journal of Social Sciences indicates that the majority of degree programs fail to include changing industry trends, practical skills, or technical training -- aspects needed by employers more than ever.
The difference between private and public universities continues to deepen the crisis. Although private institutions tend to provide updated coursework and improved facilities, they remain financially inaccessible for most of the population. Conversely, the public universities with the largest share of enrollments face underfunding, older equipment, and limited career counseling.
Many who secure employment become part of the gig or informal economy. A computer science graduate might find themselves freelancing on the web, which is far from the kinds of work for which they were trained and often lacks labour protection or financial stability. These conditions indicate a broader labour market distortion: Pakistan’s formal economy simply cannot accommodate the 500,000+ yearly graduates.
In a nation where education is still seen as the only ladder out of poverty, it's not enough to hand young people degrees. We must also give them a future worth stepping into
The problem is further intensified by policy and cultural attitudes. Technical and vocationally oriented training programs which is a path known to lead to employment in other nations are underused and underemphasised in Pakistan. As per World Bank data through Trading Economics, only a little over 4.0 per cent of secondary school students in Pakistan attend vocationally oriented programmes compared to over 20 per cent in nations such as Germany and South Korea.
Though the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has proposed improvements under its Vision 2025 framework, including modifying the curriculum and ensuring an improved university-industry connection, implementation has been slow and inconsistent. Most students graduate without internships, industrial exposure, or even basic career advice.
Yet, the crisis is not without solutions.
Pakistan urgently requires a multifaceted approach to rebalance its education system and realign it with the needs of a current, knowledge-based economy. First, courses must be redesigned in close collaboration with businesses from all industries, with problem-solving, digital literacy, and communication skills as fundamental abilities. Internships and industry projects should be mandatory for all professional degree programmes.
Second, universities must develop and adequately fund career counselling departments, especially public institutions. These should assist students in understanding market trends, refining job applications, and building connections early in their academic journeys. Third, vocational training must be reinvented as a competitive and recognised career option, rather than a fallback. Technical education, focused public awareness efforts and guaranteed job placements can help reduce young unemployment and close Pakistan's expanding skill gap.
Lastly, the government and the corporate sector must collaborate to promote youth entrepreneurship. With proper support, including startup funding, mentorship programmes and legal assistance, young Pakistanis may create their own jobs and even become job creators in IT, renewable energy and creative media sectors.
The challenge of educated unemployment in Pakistan is not due to a lack of talent or motivation. It reflects institutional inefficiency and systemic apathy. The youth have kept their end of the bargain – they studied hard, earned their degrees, and trusted in the system. It's time for the system to deliver in return.
Because in a nation where education is still seen as the only ladder out of poverty, it's not enough to hand young people degrees. We must also give them a future worth stepping into.
The writer is a development practitioner working as a communication and outreach officer at Global Neighbourhood for Media Innovation (GNMI).
