The shortage of job opportunities in today's world
The shortage of job opportunities in today's world
The shortage of job opportunities in today's world
Today's world is
facing rapid changes. Technological development, artificial intelligence,
machine learning, and globalization have revolutionized all aspects of human
life. The relationship between employment and technology is a major factor in
these changes. However, while these have brought many benefits to human
society, they have also created some new problems. The most important of them
is the lack of employment. Many young people are still searching for jobs after
completing their education. The number of unemployed graduates is increasing
day by day. This poses a great threat to balanced economic growth and social
welfare. The rate of job creation is too low to exceed the number of job seekers.
Moreover, the quality of employment and its sustainability are questionable. In
this situation, not only the youth but the entire society is affected.
In today's era, the
shortage of job opportunities has become a global concern. From developed to
developing countries, everyone is facing this challenge. From educated youth to
experienced professionals, many people are struggling to get the jobs they
deserve. Various factors contribute to this shortage. It is necessary to
examine them in detail.
Main
causes of unemployment
Rapid
development of technology and automation:
The immense growth
of technology has revolutionized today's job market. Modern technologies such
as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Automation are reducing the need for
human labor in many industries. Manufacturing tasks in factories are being
carried out completely by automated machines. Chatbots are taking over human
work in the customer service sector. High-speed computers are taking over tasks
such as data entry and analysis. As a result, many tasks that were previously
done by humans are now being done by machines with greater accuracy, speed, and
lower cost. This has greatly reduced employment, especially in manufacturing,
transportation, and basic administrative tasks. This automation is likely to
become widespread in many more sectors in the future. As a result, it will
become very difficult for people without specific skills to find jobs.
Technological
advancements have completely changed the way we work. What used to take 100 people
to do, can now be done by a machine in a matter of minutes.
Initially, this
only affected the manufacturing sector. But today, it has spread to many other
sectors such as stock trading, banking, customer service, and medicine. As a
result, many old jobs have been eliminated.
For example, the
need for employees working at the counter in a bank has now decreased. Because
ATMs, mobile banking, and chatbots have replaced them.
This is considered
a major cause of unemployment.
Globalization
and Outsourcing:
Due to
globalization, companies are increasingly shifting their production and service
operations to countries with lower wages and costs. Jobs in many sectors such
as Information Technology, Customer Service, and manufacturing are being outsourced
to countries with lower wages. As a result, workers in developed countries are
losing their jobs. Due to international competition, companies are focusing
more on reducing costs. As a result, jobs are decreasing domestically and
increasing abroad. This has become a major challenge for the youth of developed
countries.
Economic
slowdown and uncertainty:
Global economic
downturns and uncertainties severely affect job opportunities. During economic
downturns, companies stop hiring new employees or lay off existing employees.
Businesses suffer as consumer spending decreases. This hinders the creation of
new jobs. Unexpected events such as global pandemics, political instability,
and natural disasters have a major impact on the economy. As a result, job opportunities
become scarce. As long as there is no sustainable growth in the economy, the
shortage of job opportunities is likely to persist.
The world
population continues to grow. In particular, the number of young people has
increased significantly. At the same time, more women and older people are also
interested in participating in the labor market. This means that there is more
competition for the already limited number of jobs. With more people looking
for work, it is becoming more difficult for even qualified people to find work.
Despite education and skills, many people are unemployed due to excessive
competition. Especially in countries like India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, the
number of young people looking for work is increasing every year. But jobs are
not being created at the same rate.
Mismatch
between education and skills:
Many people are educated but lack the skills
that the industry expects. Employment is reduced due to the lack of technical
skills, soft skills, and language skills, which are called “Employability
Skills”.
There is a huge gap between the needs of
today’s job market and the skills that educational institutions offer. Even
many university graduates and vocational training graduates do not have the
specific skills and experience that companies expect. A major reason is the
lack of education systems and training institutions that provide skills that
are relevant to the rapidly changing technological world. There is a high
demand for skilled workers in emerging fields such as information technology,
digital marketing, and data science. However, due to the lack of sufficient
trained people in these fields, jobs remain unfilled.
Today’s education system is based on books
and exams. But the skills needed for work — communication skills, interpersonal
skills, teamwork skills, and problem-solving skills — are not adequately taught
to students. As a result, a graduate remains unqualified for a job with
intelligence. This creates a major problem called the “employability crisis”.
Short-term
jobs and unstable employment opportunities:
In today’s economy,
the number of short-term contract jobs and temporary jobs is increasing instead
of permanent jobs. With the rise of the gig economy, many people are working as
independent contractors or temporary workers. While these types of jobs are
flexible, the lack of job security and stable income is a major drawback.
Companies prefer this method to cut costs and hire employees on demand.
However, this calls into question the future of workers.
Lack
of development of small and medium enterprises:
Small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in creating jobs in any economy. However, in
many countries, these industries struggle to grow without adequate funding and
support. The lack of proper policies and support from governments hinders the
creation of new industries and the expansion of existing industries. As a
result, employment generation slows down. A large number of jobs can be created
only by encouraging small businesses.
Lack
of entrepreneurs:
Entrepreneurship
plays a key role in creating new jobs. However, in many countries, the
environment for starting a business is not conducive. Excessive regulations,
lack of finance, and marketing challenges do not encourage new entrepreneurs.
Young people are more focused on finding jobs than on starting their own
businesses. New jobs can only be created by encouraging entrepreneurship.
Social
and economic inequalities:
Social and economic
inequalities further exacerbate the lack of job opportunities. Due to unequal
opportunities, certain groups find it difficult to get jobs. Even qualified
people do not get jobs due to gender, caste and religious discrimination. The
economically disadvantaged do not get quality education and training. As a
result, they are forced to do low-paying jobs.
Global
health crises:
Global health
crises, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, have had a major impact on the
job market. Many businesses have closed, employees have been laid off, and new
job creation has been completely halted. Sectors such as tourism, hospitality,
and aviation have been hit the hardest. These crises have had long-term effects
on the economy, making it more difficult to find jobs.
Jobless
Growth:In
some countries, despite increases in production and investment, there is a
widespread situation where employment does not increase. This is called
“Jobless Growth”.
Consequences
of lack of employment opportunities:
1.Mental health issues and hopelessness:
A young unemployed
person, if he does not get the desired results for his educational journey and
efforts, will become disappointed. If this disappointment deepens, it can turn
into depression, a depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts.
Being unemployed for a long time lowers a person's self-esteem. The
thoughts "I am useless" and "I am worthless" take root in
the mind, weakening him mentally.
Unemployment, uncertainty about the future, and family pressure create
problems like depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts among young people.
2.Economic burden on the family:
Those who are unemployed place an economic burden on their families.
Parents or other family members who are the sole breadwinners are forced to
support them as well.
This situation causes rifts and stress in the family, leading to low
self-confidence, family disputes, and sometimes even mental health problems.
3.Urbanization and Migration:
People from rural areas migrate to urban areas in search of employment
opportunities. This includes most of the youth. But job opportunities in cities
are not available to everyone.
This creates a mass of unemployed people in cities. They are forced to
live in poor conditions due to low income, lack of housing, and lack of basic
amenities.
Many people migrate to cities and abroad in search of employment. This
leads to economic decline in rural areas.
4.Unusual career choices:
Due to the lack of jobs, many people are forced to accept jobs they
don't want, which prevents them from fully realizing their potential.
5.Social Equality
and Crime:
Unemployed youth sometimes resort to criminal
activities, which creates inequality and social threat in the society.
6. Emergency exams:
Job seekers are forced to choose
jobs that are not suitable for them.
6.Social Crimes and Gap:
Unemployment
increases social distancing and the number of people involved in criminal
activities.
The lack of jobs
among young people leads them to lead a dysfunctional lifestyle. Lacking means
of earning money, some people start engaging in criminal activities such as
theft, fraud, and drug dealing.
This has a
serious impact on the law and order situation of a country. Crime is especially
prevalent in areas where poverty and unemployment are high.
7. Impact on the country's economic development:
A citizen who is
unemployed is unable to utilize his full potential. If this happens across the
country, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) will decrease.
Similarly, the
government has to provide employment benefits, social welfare benefits, etc. to
unemployed youth. This increases government expenses.
As a result,
money that should be spent on government development programs is spent on
relief for the unemployed. This will reduce the economic development of a
country.
8.Waste
of Human Capital:
Even if a person
has studied for many years and has mastered a field, if there is no job, that
talent goes unused. This is a waste of a country's human resource fund.
If a person's
talent is not fully utilized, not only the person, but also the society and the
country cannot participate in that benefit.
Ways to overcome the employment shortage:
1.
Skill Development:
Government and private institutions should provide technology-based and industry-based training. Schemes like "Skill India", "PMKVY" are initiatives for this.
2. Upgrading the education
system:
Educational programs should
be adapted to the needs of the industry. Not only general knowledge but also
basic technical, computer, communication skills, language skills etc. should be
taught.
3. Entrepreneurship
Promotion:
Youth should be provided
with the necessary training, funding and guidance to transform them from job
seekers to job providers.
4.Promoting the MSME sector:
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the largest employment
generating sector in a country. They should be strengthened by providing
financial assistance and incentives.
5.Search for career
opportunities in technology:
Changes like digital platforms, freelancing, remote working etc. are
creating new jobs. We need to create awareness about these and encourage the
youth to use them.
Conclusion:
The lack of employment
opportunities is a broad problem with many components. There is no single
solution; education, skills, industry and government policies must work
together. If the younger generation is to have sustainable employment, changes
must be brought about in the education system itself. This is the foundation of
sustainable social welfare and economic development.
Some
important solutions to avoid job shortages:
Efforts to learn new
technologies
Obtaining vocational
training and qualifications
Becoming self-employed
Employment generation
schemes from the government and private sector
Skill development
training for youth
Developing skills,
Identifying new
opportunities,
Developing the ability
to create employment themselves,
And working together
between the government, private sectors and educational institutions.
Today's youth need to bring about a change in mindset. They need to develop a mindset of moving from the identity of a "job seeker" to a "job creator". Opportunities for this are certainly there in today's digital age.
At the same time, the government and private sectors must also realize their responsibilities. They should take the lead in employment generation activities. The education system should be made employment-oriented.
If we understand this
problem properly and take the right steps, we can confidently say that we can
build an employed and self-reliant society.
The shortage of job opportunities in today's world
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