Pakistan Faces 32.8% Graduate Joblessness as AI Era Exposes Education-to-Work Gap
Updated
Updated · World Economic Forum · Oct 12
Pakistan Faces 32.8% Graduate Joblessness as AI Era Exposes Education-to-Work Gap
2 articles · Updated · World Economic Forum · Oct 12
Summary
32.8% of Pakistanis aged 20-24 with degrees are unemployed, according to Gallup Pakistan’s reading of the 2024-25 labour survey, versus a 14.7% overall unemployment rate.
18.3% of fresh graduates were hired by major tech employers in 2024—13,350 from a pool of 72,952—showing the problem is weak career infrastructure, mentorship and industry exposure rather than a lack of graduates.
28,091 CS/IT graduates in 2024 are projected to rise to about 62,000 by 2028, while only 7% of Pakistan’s youth access formal technical or vocational training against a 22% regional average.
More than one-third of young workers globally are in jobs exposed to AI-driven task change, and the World Bank estimates Pakistan’s skills gap already costs $31.5 billion a year in lost productivity and export potential.
Community-led programmes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have reached more than 1,000 young people through peer training, but the report argues such grassroots models cannot replace national employment and mentorship systems.