India's Youth Unemployment Threatens Demographic Dividend Dream
Source: livemint.com
- India faces a growing youth unemployment crisis despite its large young population seen as a demographic dividend.
- Unemployment rate for ages 15-29 hit 8.1% in 2023-24, with youth making up 83% of total unemployed.
- Without urgent job creation, India risks turning its population advantage into a social and economic liability.
India's much-touted demographic dividend - its huge pool of young workers - is at risk due to soaring youth unemployment and a mismatch between jobless graduates and available low-skill jobs. The article by economist Sharma argues that government policies have failed to create enough quality employment, leaving millions of educated youth sidelined. This matters because India must harness its 1.4 billion population's potential to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047, or face unrest and wasted hu