Economic Survey: Pakistan’s unemployment rose to 7.1%

Pakistan’s unemployment rate rose to 7.1% in 2024-25, up from 6.3% a year earlier, even as the country’s economy returned to growth, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26 released by the Finance Ministry on Thursday. According to the latest Labour Force Survey 2024-25, released in the Economic Survey 2025-26, the working-age population increased from 159.8 million to 179.6 million, reflecting Pakistan’s expanding labour supply. The employed labour force also rose from 67.25 million to 77.2 million, indicating an increase in employment opportunities during the period. “At the same time, the number of unemployed persons increased from 4.51 million to 5.9 million, with the unemployment rate rising from 6.3% to 7.1%, highlighting the need to further accelerate job creation in line with labour force growth,” read the report.