19 Lakh To Get Jobs In Next Fiscal Year

“Higher GDP growth generates higher employment for the people,” Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said yesterday at a press briefing, organised for the first time to highlight his ministry's activities before the media.

Explaining the employment generation calculation method based on GDP (gross domestic product), Shamsul Alam, a member of the General Economics Division of the planning ministry, said one percentage point of GDP growth represents employment generation for around 2.5 lakh people.

“If we take the 7 percent GDP growth for the next fiscal year, employment generation will be for 17.5 lakh people, while another 2-2.5 lakh people will go abroad for jobs,” he said, adding that 95-96 lakh people were employed in the last five years.

The planning minister cited the ICT sector as a major area for employment generation, especially for the educated young generation. “We have taken many projects for the unemployed but educated youth. “'Learning and earning' is one of them, and through this 50-55 thousand young people can be self-employed,” he added.

Higher employment generation is possible in the ICT sector with comparatively less investment, he said, adding: “A Tk 200 crore spinning mill can generate direct employment to only 650 people, but if the same amount is invested in the ICT sector, at least 5,000 people will get new jobs.”