In the third quarter of the last year, the number of unemployed people in Bangladesh stood at 2.55 million. This marks an increase of 120,000 compared to the same period in 2023 when the unemployed population was 2.43 million.
These figures were revealed in the quarterly Labour Force Survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) for the period of July to September 2024, with the report published on Sunday (5 January).
The report highlights that the new unemployment calculation follows the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) guidelines.
Under this methodology, individuals engaged in productive activities but not selling goods or services in the market are considered unemployed. This approach is being implemented for the first time, replacing the previous calculations based on the 13th ICLS.
Alongside the new figures, the BBS also provided the older estimates, showing that by the end of September, the number of unemployed people was 2.55 million. In the preceding quarter (April to June), the figure was 2.64 million.
The BBS Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2024 defines the unemployed as those who did not work even for one hour in the seven days preceding the survey but were ready to work.
It also includes individuals who, in the 30 days prior, sought work in exchange for a salary, wage, or profit.
A BBS official involved in the survey stated that this was the first time the unemployment and labour force survey adhered to the 19th ICLS standards, resulting in some discrepancies in the statistics.
According to the most recent quarterly survey based on the 13th ICLS, as of September's end, the country’s labour force comprised 70.6 million people, with 47.49 million men and 22.57 million women.
Those who are not engaged in employment and not classified as unemployed are considered outside the labour force.
This category includes students, the sick, the elderly, the incapacitated, retirees, and homemakers unwilling to work.
The population used for these calculations is based on a total of 173.7 million people in the country.
