Unemployed Nigerians increase to almost 21 million – NBS
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said in its 2018 report that the number of unemployed Nigerians has shot up from 17.6 million to 20.9 million.
“The total number of people classified as unemployed, which means they did nothing at all or worked too few hours (under 20 hours a week) to be classified as employed increased from 17.6 million in Q4 2017 to 20.9 million in Q3 2018,” NBS said in the report released Wednesday.
The report also read that “the total number of people in employment (i.e with jobs) increased from 68.4 million in Q3 2015 to 68.72 million in Q3 2016, to 69.09 million in Q3 2017 and 69.54 million in Q3 2018.
“The total number of people in full-time employment (at least 40 hours a week) increased from 51.1 million in Q3 2017 to 51.3 million in Q3, 2018.
“The total number of people in part-time employment (or underemployment) decreased from 13.20 million in Q3 2015 to 11.19 million in Q3 2016 but increased to 18.02 million in Q3 2017 and to 18.21 million in Q3 2018.”
There are concerns over Nigeria’s increasing population, which is predicted to shoot up to double of the current 200 million estimate by 2050.
But government policies continue to prove inadequate for provision of jobs for citizens.
In the past few months, there have been disturbing revelations of many Nigerian youths’ desperation to acquire wealth through unlawful and diabolical means.
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to present the 2019 budget at the National Assembly today.
