Big growth, few jobs in South Asia

Unemployment level in India and other South Asian countries remained static for a decade since 1993 despite trade rising from 20 to 34 per cent of GDP in the last 13 years.

Joblessness in South Asia, which stood at 4.8 per cent of total labour force in 1993, remained unchanged in 2003 notwithstanding liberalisation and industralisation in the region during the period, United Nations 2006 Human Development Report for Asia-Pacific said on Thursday.

At the broader level, the Asia-Pacific region is creating far fewer jobs and experiencing higher unemployment despite the fact that the region has doubled its share in global trade in the last 15 years. It includes many newly opened economies, particularly the success stories of East Asia, the report released in New Delhi said.

Since 1990, some of the most trade-intensive countries like China and Singapore, have seen unemployment rates substantially increase.