Educated, jobless and angry: India’s young graduates drown in despair even as economy booms

As the world’s most populous nation readies for general elections that begin on April 19, politicians face a sobering reality. India is the fastest-growing major economy, but there are still not enough white-collar jobs for its educated youth.

“Our only way out of this life is to get a government job and get good benefits,” said biology graduate Bhopale. “That will help us get married and start a family.”

He has eked out a living in part-time jobs ranging from a tailor’s assistant to a nighttime security guard while cramming for gruelling civil service examinations.

Coming from a farming village to the big city seeking work, Bhopale said he lacked the contacts to push his application in the private sector.

“A government job is the best kind of job,” he said. “Educated people from villages like us can’t get high-paying private sector jobs.”

He isn’t alone. The International Labour Organization estimates 29 per cent of India’s young university graduates were unemployed in 2022.

That rate is nearly nine times higher than for those without a diploma, who typically find work in low-paid service or construction jobs.

Over half of India’s 1.4 billion people are aged under 30, according to government health figures.

“Jobs are not rising as fast as the potential workforce is demographically expanding,” said development economist R. Ramakumar, from Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Social Sciences, noting many of the new jobs being created are in farming.

“That is one reason why you see a large number of applicants for a small number of positions in government jobs,” Ramakumar said.

It also explains the “urge of people to go out of India through illegal channels”, seeking jobs in the United States or Canada, he added.

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