Over 1 lakh youth with higher academic degrees joined the already long rally of graduates in a gruelling search for jobs last year, according to the latest official data, as experts point to an oversupply of graduates and a lack of skills among them.
In 2023, the overall number of unemployed tertiary graduates, including university, college and madrasa graduates, stood at 9.06 lakh, up from 7.99 lakh a year ago, according to the latest data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The unemployment rate among persons with tertiary-level education rose to 13.11 percent in 2023 from 12 percent a year ago, as per the statistics bureau’s Labour Force Survey 2023.
In the face of rising youth unemployment, disappointment and frustration accumulating over the years, students organised a nationwide movement in July, seeking job quota reform in public recruitment.