Youth in climate-risk areas face greater job insecurity: study

Young people working in climate-vulnerable districts are 21.7 percentage points less likely to hold decent jobs than their peers elsewhere in the country, according to a new study.

The gap persists regardless of workers’ sector, gender or age, the study found.

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The findings were presented yesterday at a workshop at a hotel in the capital, organised by South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) and ActionAid Bangladesh.

The study surveyed 625 workers aged 15 to 35 across nine districts and four sectors: agriculture, RMG, construction and transport.

SANEM Programme Director Zubayer Hossen and Research Economist Farhan Khan presented the findings.

“Young people are disproportionately exposed to the risks of this transition, but they are also the generation best placed to drive Bangladesh towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy,” said Zubayer.

Bangladesh has committed to a “just transition” to a low-carbon economy that does not leave workers behind, but the country does not yet have the mechanisms to deliver it, the study said.

Construction workers have almost no wage or injury protection, it said. Compensation for a workplace death is capped at Tk 2 lakh and, in most cases, is not paid.

Construction and transport workers reported the highest exposure to workplace hazards. Among transport workers, 94 percent reported exposure to dust, 93 percent to noise and 89 percent to heat.

Transport workers also ranked lowest on livelihood security, which considers income stability, contract status and access to social protection.

Garment workers fared best. After accounting for earnings, age, district and gender, a young garment worker was 55.5 percentage points more likely to hold a decent job than a transport worker.

The study attributed the gap mainly to the higher rate of written contracts in the garment sector.

Chairing the event, Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said, “Training alone is not enough if it isn’t linked to real jobs.”

“We need vocational training that is genuinely useful to employers. Also, stronger social protection is needed for informal and construction workers, while young people should be meaningfully involved in shaping the transition,” she said.

Government officials, employers’ associations, and civil society organisations spoke at the event.