Pakistan’s Education Paradox: The More You Study, The Less You’re Employed.

The latest Labour Force Survey 2025 exposes a stark truth: unemployment in Pakistan rises with education level.

People with no education face an unemployment rate of just 4.7%, but this rate more than doubles for educated youth — reaching 12.6% for intermediate graduates and 11.7% among those with Master’s, M.Phil or PhD degrees.

And the situation for women is even more alarming.

Key Insights from LFS 2025

Those with little or no schooling see relatively low unemployment:
No Education: 4.7%
Below Matric: 6.2%
Matric: 8.6%

But unemployment surges for the more educated:
Intermediate: 12.6% (highest overall)
Bachelor’s Degree: 10.9%
Master/M.Phil/PhD: 11.7%

The gender split is even more striking:

Women with Intermediate education face 24% unemployment.
Women with Master’s or higher degrees also face 24% unemployment.
Even highly educated men struggle — 7% unemployment for Bachelor’s and 6.5% for postgraduate men.

The takeaway is unmistakable: degrees are rising, jobs are not.