In a statement released earlier this week by the UN Population Fund, the organization pinpointed the country’s youth as the key to economic growth and emphasized the pressing need for the creation of more jobs for young people — one million jobs within the next four years to be exact.
Drawing on data from the UNFPA’s 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census Thematic Report on Population Dynamics, the report stated that the government needs to produce more jobs for the country’s young demographic and focus on decreasing mortality and fertility rates if it wants the country to become an ‘Asian Tiger’. As it stands, the Four Asian Tigers are the highly-developed economies of Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
“The time to invest in jobs, education and skills training is now. Without new jobs, young people who are unable to find their place in the labour market and in society, may become disillusioned and not reach their full potential,” UNFPA Representative for Myanmar Janet Jackson said in the statement.
The report also noted that women should have a bigger presence in the country’s workforce. Were the percentage of working women to increase, “there would be a ‘dramatic rise’ in the country’s per capita income.” Currently, only 50.5% of women in Myanmar are employed; in comparison, 80% of women in neighboring Thailand hold jobs.
According to Jackson, “The data shows that women hold a key to Myanmar’s future prosperity. The ‘gender dividend’ can be unlocked immediately if jobs are created. But for this to happen, women need equal rights to education, jobs, credit and land. With women playing a crucial role in economic growth, Myanmar can harness a double dividend – both youth and gender.”
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