Youth Joblessness Soars in JK, Unemployment Rate Climbs to 17.4 percent
Experts warn of deepening crisis as over 3.6 lakh educated youth remain without jobs
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is staring at a growing employment crisis, with the Union Territory recording one of the highest ‘jobless rates’ in the country.
Official data shows that the youth unemployment rate has surged to 17.4%, far exceeding the national average, while overall unemployment stands at 6.7%.
Figures released under the government’s Mission YUVA initiative paint a sobering picture — more than 3.61 lakh educated youth are currently registered as unemployed across J&K, including 2.08 lakh in Kashmir and 1.52 lakh in Jammu divisions.
The situation is particularly severe in urban centres like Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag, where youth joblessness in some wards has touched 32%, according to recent labour reports.
On a chilly morning in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, Bilal Hussain, a 26-year-old MBA graduate from Anantnag, flips through newspaper classifieds hoping for vacancies.
“I completed my degree two years ago, but I’m still unemployed,” he said. “Every interview ends with polite promises — but no calls ever come. It’s disheartening to study so much and then just sit idle at home.”
In Baramulla, Shazia Bano, a postgraduate in education, said she has applied for nearly a dozen government posts without success.
“Private schools offer Rs 3,000 a month — how do I survive on that?” she asked. “Our parents invested everything in our education believing it would secure our future, but we are only adding to their worries now.”
For Mudasir Ahmad, a B.Tech graduate from Budgam, the challenge lies in limited industrial growth.
“There’s hardly any IT or manufacturing sector here,” he said. “Everyone dreams of a government job because the private sector can’t sustain us. The frustration is real — it’s not just about work, it’s about dignity.”
Economists warn that the deepening crisis could have long-term social and economic repercussions. “Jammu and Kashmir’s employment structure has not evolved with time,” said Dr. Tariq Ahmad, an economist at the University of Kashmir.
“Thousands of educated youth enter the job market each year, but the absorption rate remains stagnant. Unless we see private investment and industrial diversification, this crisis will only intensify,” he says.
The Jammu and Kashmir Policy Institute (JKPI) also underlined that the mismatch between education and job availability is a key factor behind rising joblessness.
“We have an expanding educated youth population, but the economy isn’t generating enough opportunities,” the institute noted in its latest study.
Government officials, however, insist they are working on multiple fronts to address the issue.
“We are focusing on entrepreneurship, skill development, and start-up promotion under Mission YUVA,” said a senior Labour and Employment Department officer. “The idea is to enable youth to become job creators rather than job seekers,” he added.
Despite such initiatives, experts say sustained private investment and stronger industrial growth are essential to reverse the trend.
“The Valley needs to move beyond seasonal employment and low-wage sectors,” Dr. Ahmad added. “We need to build a job ecosystem that can hold our youth here rather than push them out.”
For many young Kashmiris, however, the crisis is personal and immediate.
“I’m not asking for a government job,” said Aqib Lone, a commerce graduate from Ganderbal. “All I want is a decent opportunity to earn and live with dignity. But those chances are drying up faster than ever.”
As the chill of winter deepens across the Valley, an even colder reality grips its youth — one marked by uncertainty, frustration, and the fading promise of opportunity.
