ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2024–25 has been released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, revealing that unemployment in the country has risen to 8 million people, pushing the national unemployment rate to 7.1 percent.
This marks a noticeable increase from the 6.3 percent recorded in 2020–21, highlighting the deepening economic challenges faced by the labour market.
According to the survey, Pakistan’s population, as counted in the 2023 national census, stands at 241.49 million, with 3.3 percent of citizens currently unemployed.
The report further notes that unemployment has increased by 0.8 percent over the last five years, indicating that job creation has not kept pace with population growth or economic needs.
The survey provides a detailed overview of employment trends across key sectors of the economy. The services sector continues to dominate the labour market, employing 31.83 million people and accounting for 41.7 percent of the country’s total employed workforce.
Agriculture remains the second-largest source of employment with 25.53 million people—constituting 33.1 percent—while the industrial sector engages 19.86 million individuals, making up 25.7 percent of the labour force.
These figures reaffirm the services sector as the backbone of employment, while also highlighting the significant role of agriculture and industry in sustaining livelihoods across the country.
In addition to employment distribution, the survey also documents changes in wages and earnings. Pakistan’s average monthly per-capita wage now stands at Rs 39,042, marking a significant increase of Rs 15,014 over the last five years compared to the 2020–21 average of Rs 24,028.
The report shows a gender gap in earnings as well, with men earning an average monthly wage of Rs 39,302 and women earning Rs 37,347.
While overall wage growth appears positive, the survey’s findings underscore ongoing disparities and the need for targeted reforms to improve income equality and labour market stability.
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