When a student in the final year wakes up every morning in Pakistan they are blinded by the uncertainty of remaining unemployed and for how long? It is a situation in which no one would like to be in but that is what fate is all about right?

A large number of students enrolled in various disciplines at the public and private sector universities of the city have been found suffering from anxiety and depression.  The majority of these students reside at university and private hostels in the city and all of them have specific goals and dreams. Most students under stress have been concerned about their future after the completion of their degrees, while the underprivileged ones have additional issues to think about like poverty, family pressure and financial difficulties.  A common challenge facing all countries is unemployment especially during COVID-19 situation. Workers are much more exposed and vulnerable to loss of jobs because of lack of or inadequate social protections, especially in developing countries.

In my opinion everyone has the right to employment. In Pakistan, the state is required to promote social and economic well-being of the people. The worst time for anyone is to wake up in the morning. Too embarrassed to go out and it felt like you are in a prison. I didn’t want anyone to know that I was unemployed. How sad—but how human! I know people personally that think, “It’s like I am wearing a sign around my neck—unemployed, failure, unwanted.” Being unemployed is not the same thing as committing a felony. It’s a difficult time, it’s hard to cope, but it’s seldom something anyone intentionally wants. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a world of permanent, life-long jobs. We live in a fluid world. Jobs change, markets change, the job pool is “elastic.” Jobs disappear and jobs are created.

Everyone needs to understand in Pakistan that being unemployed is not a crime or a moral failing. Feeling ashamed of economic conditions is like blaming yourself for the economy. You didn’t cause it, you don’t control it. Bad things happen to good people during difficult times. Unemployment is a normal part of life for millions of decent people. So let’s grow out of this shell here in Pakistan and start to look at life through a different angle.

Locking yourself in your own prison and feeling ashamed about a normal but difficult part of life only undermines your opportunity to take back your life, recognize that being unemployed is simply a current situation to deal with—not a character failing—and that talking to people can help you realize that some people might actually be on your side.

Versuade Pakistan – Fareeha Robert