After Return

9. Employment
Overview
The ability to find and sustain appropriate employment is critical to survival in Afghanistan - particularly for
those young people attempting to build new lives without the support of family. This chapter examines the
employment context in Afghanistan and the efforts made to obtain work by young returnees. Patterns in
the type of work young returnees are able to find and the barriers to employment that they encounter are
also analysed.
Key trends and statistics
The young returnees monitored for this report
have employed a range of approaches in their
search for work. Despite this, only one fifth have
been successful in securing stable employment.
Ten young returnees have secured only irregular
day labour, temporary work or work in exchange
for food or accommodation, while a further
10 have not worked at all since their return to
Afghanistan. The most frequently cited barrier
was the lack of available work; other challenges
included a lack of personal networks, certificates,
support or relevant skills, and discrimination.
40%
8%
10
2
Not worked
Stable employment
(same job for more
than 3 months)
Irregular day labour
Temporary work
Working for food or
accommodation
4
5
16%
Figure 25. Experiences of
employment following return
4
20%
16%
The search for work
The most recent statistics available from the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that
only 45.7% of the total working-age population are
employed in Afghanistan, 55 and the British and Irish
Agencies Afghanistan Group estimate that 50% of
the Afghan population was unemployed at some
point in 2015 56 . and the Afghan Ministry of Labour and
Social Affairs estimate that there are 1.8 million work-
eligible Afghans out of work. 57 The vast majority of
the young returnees monitored for this report have
invested significant, time, energy and resources in
attempting to secure employment. Approaches
to finding work have included using personal
connections (friends, family members, landlords,
other returnees met on the plane etc.), contacting
employers directly (often by going in person to
Case study 5: Sajid
Sajid’s top priority on his return to Afghanistan was “first to find a job and a source of income,
which will help me to continue my education at the same time” (R13, IAR). (See case study 4
for more details about his pursuit of education.)
To find work, Sajid travelled from his home in Samangan to Kabul, where he submitted his CV
to various organisations. Three months after return he had not had any success, saying “so
far I have heard nothing. Nothing at all” (R13, IM3). Six months after his first interview, Sajid
explained:
“I have not been working here in Samangan. I need a job; I need to work, but when I have
applied for jobs they don’t accept me. They say to me, “We don’t know you”. I have applied
for so many different jobs – more than 150 jobs, some with the government, and some with
NGOs and businesses. None of them reply though, or if they do, they don’t know me and
there is no-one to speak for me. Also they say to me that I need a Bachelor’s degree, and
some sort of bribe or connection there.” (R13, IM6)
55 ILO. 2015.
56 Alexander, L. 2015.
57 ToloNews. 2015.
After Return 38