KABUL (Pajhwok): Based on the World Bank's data, Afghanistan ranks 21st among countries with the highest unemployment rates in 2024. Afghan citizens are calling for more job opportunities, while experts say addressing unemployment requires fundamental measures and the officials cite ongoing efforts to tackle the issue.

Analysts cite prolonged wars in the country and a weak economy as the main causes of unemployment.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA), while pointing to the freezing of the country's assets and the widespread return of migrants as important factors in unemployment, states that with the implementation of projects, a large workforce has been engaged and efforts to create job opportunities both inside and outside the country are ongoing.

According to World Bank data, Afghanistan's unemployment rate was 11.994 percent in 2021. This rate increased to 14.1 percent in 2022 and then slightly decreased in 2023, reaching 13.991 percent.

Based on World Bank information, by the end of 2024, the unemployment rate was recorded at 13.295 percent.

These statistics show that after nearly an 18% rise in unemployment in 2022, it decreased by almost 6% by the end of 2024; however, it still remains higher than the 2021 level.
The unemployment rate in 20 countries worldwide is higher than in Afghanistan.

According to World Bank data, in 2024, countries with higher unemployment rates than Afghanistan are: Eswatini 34.4%, South Africa 33.2%, Djibouti 25.9%, Botswana 23.1%, Gabon 20.1%, the Republic of Congo 19.7%, Namibia 19.1%, Somalia 18.9%, Libya 18.6%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18.1%, Jordan 18.0%, Yemen 17.1%, Tunisia 16.2%, Lesotho 16.1%, Iraq 15.5%, Haiti 15.1%, Angola 14.5%, Montenegro 14.1%, North Macedonia 13.4%, and Armenia 13.3%.

However, Qatar (0.126%), Cambodia (0.27%), and Niger (0.355%) have the lowest unemployment rates in the world.

The World Bank report also indicates that in 2024, the unemployment rates in the two major global powers- the United States and China-are also above 4%. The unemployment rate was 4.106% in the United States and 4.571% in China.

Conflicts main cause of unemployment, accurate rates require a survey

Samimullah Ibrahimi, spokesman for MoLSA, did not comment on the World Bank data, but regarding the statistics recorded by the ministry, he said that instead of providing approximate or estimated figures, a proper survey should be conducted to determine what percentage of the workforce in the country is unemployed.

According to him, a major factor contributing to unemployment in Afghanistan is underemployment, as people work during certain seasons of the year but remain without work in others.

He added that addressing the issue of underemployment would also reduce the overall unemployment rate.

He stated:“Today, unemployment is considered a chronic problem for the global and human community, a challenge faced even by many developed countries. Afghanistan has emerged from long and major wars; about four decades of conflict have damaged the country's infrastructure, severely affected the labor and employment sector, and pushed unemployment to its peak. With the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate, the wars have ended, and a safe environment has been created; however, the issue of unemployment persists, and efforts continue to address this problem.”

Youth complain about unemployment

Omid Afghan, a resident of Kabul who recently returned from Iran, says that a large number of returning migrants are unemployed.

This comes after the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced last month that nearly two million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan in just three months, of whom about 1.8 million were forcibly sent back from Iran alone.

Omid Afghan said:“I personally came with my wife and children from Iran. The problems are many. I had no home and wandered behind houses for about 20 days, but thank God I found a house. Yet problems remain, and unemployment has reached its peak.”

He called on the government to address this challenge and added that the Islamic Emirate should establish factories and companies for young people, as unemployment has negative effects; if youths remain jobless, they might engage in unlawful activities.

Ahmad (a pseudonym), a Kabul resident who graduated from the Journalism Faculty of Kabul University about three years ago, said he was unemployed for a year after graduation and later worked for a few months in a health center's reception department outside his field.

According to him, he has been unemployed for about a year and a half and is still looking for job, but has not yet succeeded.

He said he sent emails to various organizations and tried everything possible to find a job.

He praised the Islamic Emirate's efforts to tackle unemployment, such as launching some projects and sending workers abroad, but said these measures are insufficient.

The MoLSA recently announced that Qatar has provided 3,100 legal job opportunities for Afghan workers in engineering, electrical work, electric car mechanics, pharmacy, animal husbandry and hotel management.

Ayamuddin, a resident of the Tahya-i-Maskan area in Kabul who came to Hajji Yaqub intersection looking for work, said he has not found a job for two weeks.

He stated:“For two weeks, everyone has seen that I have come here and have not worked... What will my family do?”

When asked what problems their lack of work has caused, he said:“You can understand what difficulties people face. My child gets sick, but there is no money for medicine.”

He emphasized that unemployment has caused them many problems and that the government must address this issue.

Roots, consequences of unemployment

According to experts, the causes of unemployment in Afghanistan have deep roots. Several decades of war and instability, which have led to a weak economy and a lack of domestic investment, are among the main reasons behind the widespread unemployment in the country.

They warn that the consequences of this problem include economic weakness, psychological issues, rising crime and social instability. They emphasize that developing projects, encouraging private sector investment and providing skills training for youth can play an important role in reducing this problem.

Mukhtar Aslami, an economic expert, says that political instability, lack of security, absence of investment and excessive population growth are among the main causes of unemployment in countries.

He explained that war in a country destroys factories and companies and when a country is at war, investors become less confident and move their capital abroad, which negatively affects the economy.

Aslami added that more than four decades of war in Afghanistan contributed to higher unemployment, as the conflicts have destroyed economic infrastructure, factories and companies, directly impacting job availability.

He also noted that war leads to labor migration, a problem Afghanistan has faced for decades, leaving negative effects on the country's economy.

He suggested that the Islamic Emirate should support the private sector and investors, encourage domestic production, and impose tariffs on unnecessary imports to reduce unemployment.

Abdul Naser Reshtia, another economic expert, said that strengthening the private sector and attracting investment will create more job opportunities.

He emphasized that to solve the unemployment problem, the government must devote all its energy to providing work opportunities for people, with the private sector acting as a strategic partner.

On the social side, Mashal Stanikzai, a social affairs expert, said that unemployment causes poverty and increases psychological problems among families and communities, potentially even undermining family structures.

He explained that unemployment not only affects individuals and families but can also create social instability, spreading from individuals to families and eventually to the entire society.

Stanikzai noted that unemployment can lead to higher crime rates and increased migration.

He stressed that the government should take steps to reduce unemployment. Launching projects in the country can help eliminate unemployment, and the government should establish a systematic framework to address the problem in the long term.

He also emphasized that youth should use periods of unemployment to improve personal skills and, if possible, start online businesses.

He recommended that unemployed individuals maintain mental and behavioral control until they find work, to avoid being drawn into negative activities.

Ibrahimi: To reduce unemployment, creating jobs inside, outside the country a priority

Samimullah Ibrahimi, spokesman for the MoLSA, says that global restrictions on the Islamic Emirate, the freezing of the country's assets, and the recent forced deportation of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries are among the issues negatively affecting the labor market.

He added that to reduce unemployment and facilitate work opportunities for citizens, a “ National Labor Conference ” was launched, and over the past four years, the ministry has issued work permits to more than 350,000 citizens.

Ibrahimi said that the ministry, as a policy-making institution, has tried to implement policies and strategies aimed at reducing unemployment and improving employment opportunities for citizens.

He added that lifting sanctions imposed on the Islamic Emirate, unfreezing Afghanistan's assets and implementing large-scale projects in the country could play a significant role in solving the joblessness issue.

Ebrahimi noted that through the implementation of small, medium and large projects, a large workforce has been employed, and this process needs to be expanded.

He emphasized the role of the private sector in job creation, stating that government capacities in other countries are also limited and Afghanistan is no exception; therefore, the private sector can provide employment opportunities to a large number of people.

He expressed satisfaction with the progress and growth of the private sector in the country, noting that a significant portion of the workforce is currently employed in this sector.

According to him, another reason for unemployment in Afghanistan is that the workforce lacks skills aligned with market needs. If agreements are signed with countries like Qatar for sending Afghan workers abroad, it is necessary that Afghan workers are skilled and professional.

He added that considering these challenges, the MoLSA has activated technical and vocational centers, where thousands of citizens, especially youth, are currently receiving training. The goal is to prepare Afghan workers according to labor market requirements.

Ebrahimi noted that aligning the workforce with market needs takes time; however, since the arrival of the Islamic Emirate, more than 150,000 people have graduated from these centers.

He said that Qatar has provided 3,100 job opportunities for Afghans, and discussions are ongoing with five other countries, including Oman, Russia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, to provide legal employment opportunities for Afghans.

On August 16 last month, the deputy prime minister for economic affairs said that exploration and extraction work is currently underway at 29 large-scale mines and 175 small-scale mines, directly and indirectly providing employment for approximately 170,000 citizens.

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