Employment: By the definition of the International Labour Organisation, Bhutan has achieved the overall full employment of 97.5 percent, said the Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay at the Meet-the-Press session last week.
He added that the government’s focus now is to attain full youth employment, which the Labour Force Survey Report 2013 measured at 9.6 percent.
Labour Minister Ngeema Sangay Tshempo said that the overall unemployment rate in the country has dropped from 2.9 percent in 2013 to 2.6 percent, achieving the 97.4 percent overall employment. The achievement, he said, can be attributed to 0.5 percent growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year.
The GDP growth in 2014 was at 2.05 percent. In March 2015, it reached 2.1 percent.
“[To achieve] full employment, the economy has to improve; it’s in the process of improving,” said Lyonpo Ngeema Sangay Tshempo. In 2014 when the economy was at its lowest, the labour ministry employed 14,424 individuals.
The ministry is expects to generate more employment opportunities in the coming years, said the labour minister, adding that in order to facilitate more employment opportunities in the country, individuals need to develop skills, especially in vocational and technical areas.
The ministry provides on-the-job-trainings, apprenticeship and overseas employment programmes to build skills of young job seekers, said labour minister. “Since the economic condition of the country is not very sound, overseas employment should help generate more employment.”
Expansion of ICT market in the country is being looked into for employment generation. Statistics show that there are 626 ICT graduates in the country. The minister said that over 1,600 graduates have registered for the job market.
The labour ministry is working with ICT companies like the Bhutan ICT and Training Association to help graduates get employed.
By Younten Tshedup

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