Employment Situation

Unemployment Problem in Sri Lanka

Although the Unemployment rate declined from 1990 to 2000, it has gradually increased since 2000. According to age brackets, young generation (from 15years to 24 years) shows the high unemployment rate(Fig 1).

Fig 1. Unemployment by age groups (Source: Employment and unemployment in Sri Lanka - Trends, issues and options, Dep. of Census and Statistics, 2004)

Youth's unemployment and socio-economic gaps between the rich and the poor trigger off social unrest. A recent survey conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the University of Colombo shows that 80% of the youth surveyed (both male and female) pointed out the unemployment as the most important issue (Fig 2).

Figure 2 : Percentage of youth by most important issues (Source: School-to-work-transition of youth in Sri Lanka, ILO&IMCAP, 2004)

To create employment opportunities for youth with different levels of education and skills, it is necessary to make appropriate plans for human resource development and conduct them quickly.