About youth unemployment

1. Summary
Almost all the countries underwent economic recession. As a result, today many countries seem to
experience youth unemployment, and Sri Lanka being undeveloped country seems to feel the direct
impact of it since it turns on some developed countries of the world in more than one way. Sri Lanka
witnessed an adamant denial of foreign investment and monetary aids as a result of worldwide
economic meltdown and widespread instances of terrorist acts, thereby resulting in youth employment
deteriorating into considerable proportion.
There account for many potential reasons rendering Sri Lanka prone to the problem of youth
unemployment which include overpopulation, apathy towards blessed agricultural resources, no care
for the promotion of industries, duality in education system, corruption, which may be moral,
monetary, intellectual, educational and sensual, selfish and lust-seeking political leaders, terrorism,
extremism, obscurantism, cronyism, nepotism, negative influence of media and westernization are
only some of the many causes which constitute youth unemployment.
Nonetheless, solutions stand many if ends are pure. Every cloud has some sorts of silver lining
provided that one tries to discover the silver lining. More than anything else Sri Lanka is a resilient
nation which is witnessed by its past sixty two years of history. If our youth determine to successfully
tackle above-mentioned hindrances to youth employment, there remain host of possibilities promising
brighter and stronger future for our youth. Sri Lanka has a lot more to offer due to its geo-strategic
importance. In such conditions the prime task rests with the youth themselves. They, in fact, need to
rise to the occasion, build trust, develop an atmosphere of reliance on one another and offer a role
model to be followed by others.
No one can go back and change a bad beginning. We can start now and can create a successful
ending.

2. LOOMING ISSUE OF WIDESPREAD YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
Almost the whole world seems to have been faced with inevitable issue of youth unemployment, and
Sri Lanka being the underdeveloped country has suffered the heat of it more than any other country. In
fact Sri Lanka suffered the heat of it more than any other country as when stronger nations underwent
economic recession, they stopped investing and granting aids to comparatively underdeveloped
countries. Sri Lanka being the underdeveloped country witnessed the same scenario as a result of
massive economic meltdown. As when strong winds come, they devastate only poorly structured
buildings; whereas strongly structured buildings stay standing outright.
However, when we come across the strategies adopted by developed countries, we see that they, by
dint of wise and foresighted visions, have saved their countries from the clutches of youth
unemployment. In such developed countries of the world as Germany, Japan, America and Britain
there floats a catchy motto which says that we cannot always build the future for our youth, but we, at
least, can build the youth for our future. On the other hand in the context of Sri Lanka, there stand
more questions than answers as to why a country which is blessed with numerous natural and human
resources is expected to plead for monetary aid or foreign investment, and in spite of all undergoes
youth unemployment problems. As far as the youth unemployment of Sri Lanka is concerned, it seems
to be multiplying and thus worsening with the each passing day. Nonetheless, even the darkest of
cloud has some sort of silver lining if one is willing to see blinker-free view of the scene. There is
great number of researchers and analysts based in Sri Lanka who contend that if government,
education institutions and the youth determine to end the youth unemployment, there remain host of
possibilities indicating brighter, stronger and more committed future of youth of Sri Lanka in the
comity of nations.
There stand many hurdles which account for the ever increasing youth unemployment which includes
massive economic meltdown whole across the world, confused combination of industrialization and
urbanization, apathy towards blessed agricultural resources, growing class consciousness, increased
inequality of distribution of resources and wealth, overpopulation, corruption which may be monetary,
moral, educational, intellectual and sensual, useless increase in living standard and consequent low
saving, duality of education system, preference of cramming to learning in a true sense and widespread

3. negative influence of media and westernization are some of the many causes which have badly
brought the bourgeoning concept of youth unemployment to Sri Lanka.
There is famous African saying that don’t see where you fell but see where you slipped. In the regard
it is imperative for government to first diagnose the underlying directions where we have gone wrong
since without identifying the genesis of the problems, the successful solution of such problems
remains next to impossible. Therefore, if we succeed in removing following barriers, there is every
possibility that we can save our youth from facing unemployment problems.
Overpopulation opens up the Pandora’s Box. All the major problems emanate from overpopulation.
Overpopulation means more mouths to feed, more energy to consume, more resources to use, more
diseases to develop, and more crimes and corruption to fester. As a result, agriculture suffers badly;
crimes and corruption deteriorate into despicable proportion. Overpopulation also compels women to
turn to the unwanted profession of prostitution. It also brings needless child labor. Apart from it
overpopulation contributes majorly to global warming. Sri Lanka’s ratio of population is consistently
reported to have been drastically higher, and if it continues with such intensity as it is at present, the
number of the youth unemployment can only stay increased instead of decreasing. Hence, in such
circumstances the government is highly advisable to make concerted efforts to reduce the growth of
overpopulation.
Nonetheless the fact that overpopulation swallows the potential of any nation, China has contrary
belief of generally held fear of overpopulation. China has nullified the generally held notion which
says more people means more mouths to feed by converting it into the new theory which emphasizes
that more people also means more hands to work provided that such hands are equipped to work
constructively. China, today, enjoys the prosperity and development only with its proud boast of labor
resources. India too is seen pursuing the same strategy adopted by China. However, as far as Sri
Lankai society is concerned it differs considerably from those of other societies. More than anything
else, solution lies in controlling bourgeoning population.
Another major hurdle which constitutes youth unemployment is our apathetic heed towards
agriculture. It seems that with whatever we have been blessed we have abandoned and have
continued with a wild goose chase. A nation which forgets its blessed bounties and pursues other
relatively less beneficial occupations, if not futile ones, is sure to witness downfall and consequent

4. trouble. Same is the case with Sri Lankai society. Sri Lanka is an agricultural-oriented country, but
sadly there remain only five agricultural institutions in the whole country which include in such cities
as in Tando Jam in Sindh, Faisalabad, Lahore, and Frontier and in the capital city Islamabad.
Comparing it to the provision of the institutions of other fields, we find almost in every city the
institutions related to Business Administration and Information Technology. Thanks to foreign
investment; otherwise we would have witnessed more number of youth unemployed than what we
have at present. When emphasis is laid upon directing proper heed to agricultural resources, we view
the successful example of Australia before us. Australia, which is mainly blessed with agriculture
enrichment, has fully reaped the benefits of it. One can find agricultural institutions and its research
base almost everywhere in Australia, which contributes primarily to its increased economy which, in
turn, ranks Australia among the developed countries of the world. Malaysia, once heavy borrower of
Sri Lanka back in 1970s, has been enjoying prosperity and economic development and consequent
great number of employment to youth. Mahathir Muhammad, the then prime minister of Malaysia,
once owed the great economic uplift of the country to the initiative of two reforms; one of them was
agricultural reform.
Besides apathetic heed to agriculture, Sri Lanka lacks acutely the investment in the uplift of
industries. In fact, both- agriculture and industrialization- are supplementary and complementary to
each other. Sri Lanka, whatever produces agricultural crops, sells most of it in its raw condition in the
international market as it stands deprived of availability of industries. On the other hand it purchases
industrial-produced material at much higher price than it sells raw agricultural crops in the
international market because in the international market the industrial products are sold on higher price
than those of agricultural products. Thus, if Sri Lanka develops some industries, it saves its
agricultural raw material from being sold on cheaper rates. Instead, industries would turn the
agricultural raw crops into ready for sell in the international market in the much demanded price,
thereby resulting in considerable strength of economy along with the assurance of jobs for our youth.
Duality in education system of Sri Lanka has bred frustration, alienation and dejection among many
competent youth of the country. There run several types of education systems which include English
medium, Urdu medium, regional and Madrassah education. English medium education seems to be
meant for elite and moneyed class, whereas Urdu medium, regional and Madrassh education are
acquired by those who are comparatively poor people. As the system goes, many well-paid jobs are

5. designed for those who come from English medium background. As a result, considerable population
of the poor and middle-class remain far from the mainstream society and cannot prove their capability
and talent in which, in turn, their role and contribution go unheeded. Poor and middle-class are
believed to have been the pillars of any society and civilization. History witnesses to this argument
that great changes, reforms and revolutions are brought by the poor and middle class people. If they
are discouraged from participating in the mainstream affairs of country and, by contrast, are kept far
from it, such nation would plunge into decay. Corruption which includes moral, monetary, intellectual,
educational and sensual runs rampant in the country. Nepotism, relativism, favoritism and cronyism
are only few of the many hindrances which stand in the way of youth employment. Generally
speaking, such above-mentioned hindrances are not mere problems but are diseases which have
severely plagued the every other segment of the country.
Recently Sri Lanka has been rated the most corrupt country of the world by the Transparency
International, which is accepted to be correct by almost all neutral media person and analysts. Besides,
nepotism and favoritism seems to continue unhampered. A country where government jobs are
accorded to favorites without giving advertisement and where only and only personal interests are
served to national interests; it is useless discovering the other reasons accounting for youth
unemployment. It is said that there is nothing as unequal as an equal treatment of unequal. Sri Lanka is
one of the fewest countries where equal and unequal stand in the same queue for job, and surprisingly
unequal musters up the job more likely than the equal ones.
It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that the education system of Sri Lanka itself prevents our
youth from developing analytical and critical approach. It is widely seen that teachers themselves
encourage cramming, whereas they discourage learning in a true sense. As a result our colleges and
universities only produce parrots of cramming, who (students) too study because they have to not they
want to. Love for learning seems to have vanished. Teachers, lecturers and professors have started
opening tuition centers and academies. They teach in their centers and academies such knowledgeable
material that they should have taught in the generally run institutions. In the regard there have been
much hue and cry from world research centers and some from Sri Lankai research groups that the
youth in Sri Lanka is somewhat acquainted with the theory, but lacks pathetically the practical and
pragmatic approach to cope with the unexpected. Sadly, our students who qualify from Sri Lanka-
based institutions are not well-equipped with the developments and demands of the day. Researchers

6. and analysts in Sri Lanka lament that such youth come only by cramming and memorizing as parrots
do. Thus, once they are asked to exude their talent, capacity and skills, they get frightened by this.
Hence it stands established that our youth should be held responsible for their inability to seek dreamy
employment instead of directing the whole blame at the government and present economic turmoil.
Negative influences of media and growing westernized culture have also rendered our youth prone
to unemployment. In movies, for instance, we see heroes becoming rich overnight and getting all
which is almost next to impossible in the real world is what which has tempted our youth to such kind
of inclinations that lead our youth to short-cuts, whereas our youth should have known that there is no
short-cut in the kingdom of God. Moreover, the end and climax of the movie are often accompanied
by the meeting or marriage of hero and heroine. Influenced by such movies, our youth considers their
life completed once they get married or they are engaged to someone. In fact, what they fail to execute
is to make a line of difference between movies and real world. As a result our youth spend their time
dreaming about unachievable dream, which lead them to unemployment.
Growing blind influence of westernization has also left our society tempted to lust and pleasure,
forgetting there is much good and hard work displayed by the West. It is sad that our youth view the
modernization as westernization and thus they mistakenly identify the westernization with
vulgarization. As a result they abandon their own cultural values, glorious history and dynamic
civilization. A society which forgets its defenders, heroes and traditional entities is destined to
experience moral and cultural degradation, social disintegration, intellectual stagnation and religious
decay. Pathetically same is visibly seen at present.
Terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism have served to cause considerable hurdle in bringing
foreign investment to Sri Lanka. Not to talk of attracting foreign investment, even local entrepreneurs
seem to avoid investing in Sri Lanka. To fulfill the remaining quota our political leaders have done
their worst to impoverish the country. They live far beyond their means and serve only their vested
interests at the cost of nation’s interest. Their whole stake is in abroad: their investment, their bank
balances, their property and their children. It makes one wonder as to why they raise the hollow
slogans because such hollow and empty slogans would never fill the empty bellies of poor people and
consequently our youth.

7. The common people of Sri Lanka too are so uncivilized and unaware that when they see public
structures even roads being dotted, they never bother to stop people from vandalizing public structures
and recite the common claim that these are constructed by the government. In this sorrow situation, it
rests with the members of civil society to awaken such uncivilized and unaware people to the reality
that such roads and other public structures are made by their (common people’s) tax-paid money.
Everybody pays the tax irrespective of direct or indirect. Even when we install the balance of cell
phone amounting 100 rupees, almost 16%, which will be 16 rupees, is deducted as a government tax.
Actually, what we should need to do is to bring awareness among common people about their civil and
social rights before we dream of attaining healthy youth employment.
Youth unemployment unleashes severe implications in its wake. Much of the talent of youth loses its
spirit in bud which, in turn, renders the country deprived of real talent and capability. Brain drain has
also its genesis from the incidence of youth unemployment. In the context of Sri Lanka it is generally
seen that the most competent youth leave the country in hope of being able to earn due money for their
services which is rare to earn in Sri Lanka. A hungry man is an angry man. Hunger causes wolf to
sally from the wood. A young person who stays jobless is spite of reasonable qualification is more
likely to turn to drugs, crime and corruption. In Sri Lanka one reason for increasing drug addicts,
crimes and corruption is seen prevalent only owing to the failure of government to provide the youth
with employment. Many young girls being unable to seek employment resort to prostitution to support
their families for subsistence. Parents being compelled by the pangs of hunger send their children to
serve as child labor. As a result of youth unemployment almost whole society suffers irrespective of
whether it is direct consequence or indirect repercussion. As money begets money; frustration begets
frustration. Many young people also develop psychological depression. Suicide bombing increasingly
witnessed in Sri Lanka is said to be one of the potential cause of youth unemployment.
In an attempt to boost employment among youth of Sri Lanka, the successive governments, NGOs
and some organizations of the developed foreign countries have made some concerted efforts, but the
impact and scale of corruption, nepotism, lawlessness and social unrest has crept so badly into the
society that almost all the efforts have met with abysmal failure. Government of Sri Lanka, in this
regard, has opened new vistas for jobs which involve attracting more foreign investment, declaring
Gawadar port a duty-free zone, providing the people with micro and macro level loans, raising salary
of the youth to a reasonable level, and building the wall of trust among the institutions. However,

8. much remains to be done before our youth seek sustainable employment and prosperity. For this,
following are a few of the pre-requisites towards successfully overcoming the threat of youth
unemployment.
Solutions are many if intentions are pure. In Sri Lanka there are many good institutions and
organizations which are serving positive role. In such conditions what we need to do is to build trust,
and it cannot be built by what one says but by what one does. Therefore doing more and saying less
may prove to be successful recipe for socio-economic uplift of the country in bringing about
constructive youth employment.
Besides, people here do not want further laws; they want existing ones improved in letter and spirit.
Sadly, over the years we have witnessed that government has pursued such policies that have benefited
the only already well-off people. In this regard, government must formulate pro-poor policies, as they
are the ones who are in the majority. Once government succeeds in winning hearts and minds of
common people, there are sure chances of development and consequent youth development. When we
seek the solution leading to enough youth employment, we end up saying that we do not need to bring
the whole country to literacy level. Rather Sri Lanka government first place emphasis on first
educating the educated people. To say this kind of stark opinion, which is contrary to generally held
theory, there underlie some solid reasons behind it. In Sri Lanka the real corruption is done by the
educated people not by the unlettered ones. Even traffic rules are flouted by those people who are
mostly educated ones. Over and above Sri Lanka is an agriculture oriented country which demands
sincere farmers to cultivate and bring the productivity to the flourished proportion. So, it is rather
immaterial whether they are well-educated are semi-educated. Therefore focus must be towards
educating first the educated people.
Some vital sensibilities and responsibilities rest with the state organs such as ensuring law and order
situation, providing merit system, offering peaceful environments for other countries to invest. Law
and order situation, peaceful environment, eradication of terrorism and elimination of the forces of
extremism are indispensably important, if foreign investment and tourists from the world are to attract
in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka enjoys great geo-strategic importance due to enrichment of its Gawader port
and its close connectivity with the Central Asian Countries, along with some Gulf States. Sri Lanka
richly enjoys many enticing features which characterize it as the most important country in the whole

9. region. Therefore, ensuring feasible environment will surely help bring enough investment which
would ultimately afford our youth an opportunity to improve their lot.
Government should pursue such policies that equally help promote poor and middle-class people.
History of the world bears witness to the reality that the nations which promoted its poor and middle-
class people have gained unexampled development and brighter future for their youth. One of the
holistic solutions lies in dedicating the heed to the promotion of agriculture and industry. These both
can help improve the efficiency of the country in multiple ways. If our country makes some successful
strides in reaping the advantages of agriculture and industry, there would surely be more employment
than our youth are unemployed today.
State should help the youth to be self-employed by providing them with micro and macro level loans.
Loans should be provided with accessible conditions. Such conditions should be easier to comply with
by the aspirant youth.
Youth too need to keep the political leader and other establishment organs under watchful vigilance.
There should be proper checks and balances. Law should be equal before everyone.
Youth must make sure that the influence of media and westernization is positive and learning-oriented.
They also must make sure that they make a line of difference between what is acceptable and what is
unacceptable. More than anything else youth should develop indomitable courage, spirit,
determination, patience, persistence, perseverance and tenacity to face the challenges of the
competitive globalization.
Youth must make their best endeavor to learning in a true sense instead of cramming the pages. Love
for learning would help the youth considerably to seek their desirable employment.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Sri Lanka has been blessed with almost all the natural bounties
which lead a country to the road of development and prosperity. Sri Lanka is blessed with 80 million
people below the age of twenty. Today we have free media and free judiciary. Today general masses
seem to be far more aware than they were in the past. We have some good factories and industries.
Besides, Sri Lanka, mainly its major city Karachi, is the hub of investment which has attracted the
world investment. We have Arabian Sea and Gawadar port. There are some good government and
NGOs organization working for the betterment of people. Women seem to be exercising more rights

10. than ever before. We have dams, strong army and agencies. Over and above, Sri Lanka is an atomic
power country. Common masses today appear to be comparatively civilized, socialize, modernized
and enlightened. We have some good educational institutions which are even recognized by the world.
Our youth have won many laurels in the foreign countries in such field as in English, Chemistry,
Mathematics, and Physics and in debates. In fact Sri Lanka is a resilient nation which is justified by its
past sixty-two years of history.
Nonetheless, there lie some vacuums and lacunas which, if filled and, then, tackled adequately, we,
more than sure, can become a developed, prosperous and civilized country in the comity of nations,
which consequently will bring more than enough employment. No one can go back and change the bad
beginning. We can start now and create a successful ending. In the conclusion famous quoted saying
of Elbert Herbert deserves a special mention which says: the best preparation of good work tomorrow
is to do good work today. To give the final words, we need to adhere to the message of Mother Teresa,
who once aptly remarked that: yesterday has gone, tomorrow has not come. We have only today let us
begin today.