Employment Strategy and Equitable Growth: A Social Capital Perspective for KPK

Unemployment is one of the major factors in low Economic development of Pakistan and especially KPK, due to a number of factors and gaps on demand and supply side. Unemployment is on the rise, which needs to be minimised. Large part of the working community is involved in unrelated jobs meaning thereby that their skills do no match with the techniques required. Major sectors of employment in Pakistan are agriculture, Industries, Mines, construction etc. Large numbers of employment opportunities are available; however, employment remains below its potential level due to structural problems in the labour market system. Main supply side gaps are; lack of certification, lack of appropriate skills and knowledge, area related gaps, inputs related gaps, communication gaps, lack of marketing skills, technological backwardness etc. Demand side gaps are employer related gaps, lack of formal system of knowledge, public-private disconnect, public-private credibility gaps, etc. By utilising existing potential of social capital of organisation vs. organisation, organisation vs. groups, groups vs. groups a large number of employment opportunities may be provided to the skilled, semi-skilled workers, thereby, a large pool of unemployed labour force would be put in the economy for economic growth. By introducing reforms, like inter provincial job portal, intra provincial job network and establishment of central databank at the federal level may accommodate higher level of labour force and appropriate skilled force into job market, which may boost the economy and quality of production may also increase.