Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh shed 1.4 million manufacturing jobs over the past decade despite consistent 10 percent annual growth in manufacturing output, spanning both export-oriented garments and domestic non-garment industries, according to a new study by Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID).
The report presents clear evidence of jobless growth in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector.
In 2013, factories needed 220 workers to produce goods worth $1 million; by 2024, that number had fallen to just 94, driven by rising automation and technological upgrades.
“Youth unemployment is now more than double the national rate,” said RAPID Chairman Dr MA Razzaque while presenting the keynote paper at an event held on Sunday at a city hotel.
Dr Razzaque attributed the worsening employment situation to the previous government’s “flawed and narrow” policy focus, which prioritised one sector while leaving others underdeveloped. He called for a comprehensive, employment-centred policy framework for the coming decade.
Speakers at the event also warned that Bangladesh’s traditional education system is failing to produce a skilled workforce.
“Access to education has widened, but human capital is not being built,” said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC). Criticising the quality of National University education, he noted, “It is producing the lowest-quality manpower.”
He added that Bangladesh has “fallen into the trap of joyless resilience.”
The programme was attended by business leaders, economists, and development partners.
