The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Bhutan’s unemployment rate currently stands at 16.5 percent, but the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE) says that for a small country like Bhutan, the focus should be on the actual number of unemployed youths rather than percentages alone.
Speaking during the parliamentary session, the MoICE Minister Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji shared that the ministry tracked 16,549 youths who had registered as unemployed and were seeking job opportunities.
The Minister said that while many youths initially registered as unemployed, the numbers have since changed as some individuals secured jobs while others left the country for employment abroad.
“Out of the total registered youths, some have already found jobs and some went abroad for employment opportunities, leaving 11,323 youths still seeking employment,” the Minister said.
The MoICE later contacted around 7,254 youths to assess their current status and found that 1,716 of them are actively seeking employment opportunities at present.
The Minister assured that the ministry plans to reach every unemployed youth individually and extend necessary support.
“To each and every one, we will reach out and provide help,” Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji said.
The Minister also highlighted a category known as NEET, referring to youths who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training.
“There is a category called NEET, which refers to youths who are not in education, employment, or training. Through this initiative, the Ministry will work with Dzongkhag and Gewog officials to register such youths,” the Minister said.
According to the Minister, once these youths are identified and registered, the ministry will track them individually and connect them with training programs and employment opportunities.
Lyonpo further shared a special measure introduced for Arts students who graduated from Class 12 in 2022 and 2023.
The issue surrounding Arts students was discussed during the parliamentary session following the report presented by the Education Minister on Arts students and tertiary education opportunities.
Usually, the official youth category covers individuals between the ages of 15 and 24. However, considering the challenges faced by Arts students from the 2022 and 2023 batches after changes in tertiary education opportunities, the MoICE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), decided to extend the eligible age limit to 25 years for these students.
The move is expected to allow affected Arts graduates to continue receiving youth-related support, training opportunities, and employment assistance under government initiatives.
In earlier sessions of Parliament, the Prime Minister (PM) also highlighted that not all registered unemployed youths may necessarily be without any form of livelihood.
Moreover, the PM has instructed the NSB and MoICE to study the matter and identify the main reasons behind youth unemployment.
The PM added that there is a difference between those leaving Bhutan due to limited employment opportunities and those going abroad in pursuit of higher income.
