Pakistan’s Unemployment Reaches 21-Year Peak at 7.1%, Jobless Population Rises to 5.9 Million

Pakistan’s unemployment rate has surged to a 21-year high of 7.1%, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by the Ministry of Planning and Development. The data reveals that from 2021 to 2025, the number of unemployed individuals in the country rose by 1.4 million.

In 2021, the number of jobless people stood at 4.5 million, but by the end of FY 2024–25, the figure had jumped to 5.9 million. Out of these, 3.8 million are men and 2.1 million are women.

Punjab remains the most affected province, with nearly 3.5 million unemployed individuals, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 1.2 million, Sindh with 1 million, and Balochistan with 0.2 million jobless citizens.

The report highlights that unemployment has increased across all age groups, with 77.5% of the unemployed (4.6 million people) classified as educated. Shockingly, 1 million highly educated individuals remain unemployed despite having advanced qualifications. The largest concentration of unemployment is among those aged 15 to 29.