Nigeria ranks second with highest unemployment globally

According to the Labour Statistics Report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday, Nigeria’s unemployment rate increased to 33.3℅ in the fourth quarter of 2020.

“The number of persons in the economically active or working-age population (15 – 64 years of age) during the reference period of the survey, Q4, 2020 was 122,049,400. This is 4.3% higher than the figure recorded In Q2, 2020, which was 116.871, 186,” NBS said.

NBS added that in the case of unemployment by state, Imo state reported the highest rate of unemployment with 56.64%, followed by Adamawa and Cross River States with 54.89% and 53.65% respectively.

The States with the lowest rates were Osun, Benue, and the Zamfara States with 11.65%, 11.98% and 12.99% respectively.

Meanwhile, a publication by Bloomberg, reveals that unemployment in Nigeria, the Africa’s largest economy has surged to the second-highest on the global list.

The publication stated that Nigeria surpassed South Africa on a list tracked from 82 countries, revealing that Namibia still leads the list with 33.4%.

Many concerned Nigerians who spoke have expressed worries over the alarming rate of poverty amid joblessness among Nigerians, especially the youths.

An On-Air Personality, Jude Adanu who spoke to our correspondent from Benue State, said the report indicated that Nigeria is rather retrogressing instead of making viable progress like other nations of the world.

“The question is, where are we going to, back or front? There is hardship in the land, and it seems no one cares.

“People are dying of hunger on a daily basis due to lack of jobs. While you are trying to assume your responsibility as a father and husband, your grown-up siblings who are supposed to be established with their own family, still depend on you for common feeding,” he added.