491 Photo for representation only. - File photo
Unfortunately, Punjab has been in the throes of an employment crisis for some years now, but, gravely, the severe blow dealt by the pandemic-induced lockdown seems to have aggravated the situation. The educated youth engaged in or aiming for salaried placements have borne the brunt of job losses and contraction of the economy. This is apparent from the fact that 1,152 posts of patwari recently thrown open have drawn as many as 2.33 lakh aspirants. The huge number of overqualified youths seeking this comparatively low-level government job further reflects the desperate state of affairs.
The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy study reveals volatile month-wise data of India’s unemployment rate. From September 2020 to February 2021, the unemployment rate has swung between a high of 9.1 per cent and a low of 6.5 per cent, with the average being around 7.4 per cent. (Notably, Haryana fared the worst, with the highest rate of 26.4 per