Over half of jobseekers in most districts of Kerala are women

KOLLAM:  A large section of Kerala’s youth is on the hunt for jobs, a survey conducted by the state’s Knowledge Economy Mission has revealed. As per the survey, Malappuram districts top the list with the most number of jobseekers - over 6 lakh. This is followed by Thiruvananthapuram, with 5.09 lakh youngsters, and Kollam, with 5.02 lakh.

In almost all the districts, women make up more than half of the list. In Thrissur, this is as high as 61%. Idukki has the least number of jobseekers - 1.75 lakh people. “Majority of today’s youngsters are dissatisfied with their current jobs. Many are paid as little as Rs 10,000 per month,” P V Unnikrishnan, director of the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council, said while explaining the survey findings.

“The current education system does not imbibe youngsters with the skills that are in demand today,” Unnikrishnan pointed out. Given how the economy is still recovering from the aftermath of Covid-19, the director also alluded that it will be a while before things turn promising. It is precisely this very reason that has prompted the state to consider building a knowledge-based economy, which is deemed more shielded from catastrophes like Covid-19.

The survey, part of the ‘Ente Thozhil, Ente Abhimaanam’ campaign, was envisioned to empower the state to roll out measures to tackle unemployment and, more ambitiously, build a knowledge-based economy. “The findings from the survey are certain to shape the state’s economic policy in the coming year,” said Vishnu P, programme manager of Kerala Knowledge Mission.

The survey, which was inaugurated in May 2022, was completed in just eight weeks. Kerala’s Knowledge Economy Mission intends to provide jobs to 20 lakh youth by 2026.