80pc of unemployed ‘are highly educated’
MORE than 80 per cent of unemployed Bahrainis who registered on a national platform are highly-educated young men and women, a new study has revealed.
The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) initiative registered around 15,000 unemployed citizens of which two-thirds were women.
The results of a detailed analysis of the National Unemployment Programme, launched last month, were analysed and the findings were announced yesterday at a Press conference at the federation’s headquarters in Adliya.
“Most of the unemployed are bachelor degree holders,” said secretary general Abdul Qadir Al Shehabi.
“84pc of the unemployed are youth and this rate is expected to increase.” He claimed there was ‘a demographic imbalance’ in the distribution of job opportunities across Bahrain, with evidence of employment instability and a lack of opportunities in the labour market.
“We need to promote the ‘Bahrainisation’ of jobs in both private and public sectors and implement our earlier recommendations,” he said.
The federation in October had raised its call for a minimum wage of BD700 for Bahrainis by 2024 as part of a four-year strategic plan.
It also called for replacing 20,000 expats with Bahrainis – claiming that the move would contribute more than BD15 million annually to the social insurance funds.
The proposals, listed in a document, were part of a four-point ‘vision’ – targeted for achievement by end of 2024.
“Out of the unemployed, 33pc have graduated between one year and five years and have never worked, and 11pc of them have spent more than five years looking for a job,” added Mr Al Shehabi.
“The unemployed population of Bahrain is not a problem, but rather a solution to Bahrain’s problems.
“Our vision is consistent with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 which is to help Bahrainis achieve a decent work environment and a fair solution for the unemployment.
“Reducing three per cent of the expatriate workforce can solve the unemployment crisis in Bahrain.”
He also claims that ‘50pc of Bahraini workers do not get a decent job or adequate wages’ and most were concentrated in the Northern Governorate.
The GDN earlier reported that according to General Organisation of Social Insurance’s first quarter report this year, a total of 81,600 Bahrainis earned less than BD700 a month.
According to last year’s Gosi report, 7,789 expatriates occupy jobs in the government sector.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/909814/80pc-of-unemployed-%E2%80%98are-highly-educated%E2%80%99