I HAD heard about rising unemployment in the country, but had little idea about what it actually means till I personally experienced it recently. My father used to work in a private firm and he recently lost his job as the company sacked him as part of some retrenchment drive.

In such a situation, our family faced what in the least can be described as an economic disaster. Owing to this, I have been unable to pay my school fees for several months. Many people like my father have lost their jobs in different companies recently and are currently unemployed.

In such a state, sustaining the families’ livelihood has become impossible. My father was the only earning member of the family, and we had a satisfactory life till he was sent packing. Today, we have no life worth living.

Financial problems are not the only effects of long-term unemployment. People experience strained family relationships. Those suffering from long-term unemployment tend to lose their self-respect and some of them develop psychological issues that need professional help, which they don’t get because they have no money to enjoy such ‘luxuries’.

All stakeholders should raise their voice on this critical issue, while the government must step in and generate more and better employment opportunities for one and all.

Asifa Sakhi
Lahore

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2022