Pakistan implements new youth employment and SME strategies

Pakistan is shifting its economic strategy toward the National Youth Employment Policy (NYEP), which aims to integrate youth employment into broader economic planning. Rather than focusing solely on skills training, the policy seeks to coordinate government, industry, and education to ensure training leads to productive employment. This move is viewed as an economic survival strategy, as the World Bank estimates Pakistan must create between 25 and 30 million jobs over the next decade to leverage its young population effectively.

Complementing this focus, Deputy Chairman Senate Syedal Khan Nasir emphasized the critical role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in national progress. SMEs currently contribute 40 percent to Pakistan’s GDP, 30 percent to exports, and account for over 80 percent of non-agricultural employment. Nasir advocated for transforming youth from job seekers into job creators through financial and technical support, urging that the State Bank’s access to finance plans reach grassroots levels to support entrepreneurs and women in the digital economy.