Hidden Unemployment; A devastating Phenomenon in Governance of Afghanistan

Hidden unemployment is a situation in which people and employees of organizations are apparently employed, but their productivity and work achievements are so low that in reality they are considered unemployed. This type of unemployment is especially observed in developing countries such as Afghanistan in various sectors, especially in the field of public services, where the number of workers and employees is more than needed, and as a result, it leads to economic and social problems.

Many factors can be considered involved in the formation, increase and stability of hidden unemployment. Population growth and pressure on job resources is one of the main factors of this problem. Rapid population growth, especially in developing countries, increases the number of job seekers. Since the creation of job opportunities does not happen at the speed of population growth, many people enter the labor market for whom there are not enough job positions. This challenge is clearly seen in Afghanistan, because unemployment is rampant as a disaster in the society, and besides, government departments, in order to keep a large number of people employed, design their administrative structures in such a way that employed people are more than needed and this causes the formation of hidden unemployment.

However, the low level of education and skills is another factor in this field. Many people can only work in low productivity jobs due to lack of training and technical skills. However, when people with a low level of education and skills are employed in key sectors that require high expertise and knowledge, they are unable to perform the assigned tasks and as a result escape from the burden of work pressure and in this way fuel hidden unemployment. This problem is widespread in Afghanistan.

On the other hand, work culture and family structure also play a fundamental role in the spread of hidden unemployment. This means that the family, as the smallest unit of society and the main center for the formation of human personality and behavior, if educates children in such a way that they are not responsible for themselves, the society, the citizens and the duties they carry and oblige themselves to answer to others, when they enter the society and the labor market, they will also damage the working environment of the organizations and intensify the hidden unemployment. However, if the organizational culture as it has been seen in Afghanistan for years, in the absence of an effective and efficient system in governance, see the provision of public services to citizens as an unimportant and worthless matter, and towards society and providing services to If it doesn’t have any sense of responsibility and accountability, secret unemployment prevails widely in the administrative system.

Therefore, if hidden unemployment continues and a solution to reduce and prevent it is not considered, it can bring harmful and destructive consequences for the future of the country. Hidden unemployment reduces the overall productivity of the economy. Human resources are not being used effectively when people are engaged in tasks that are not productive. As a result, economic growth slows down and the society stops from economic development. The role of government departments in the meantime is more important than others, because these departments act as the main facilitators in the development process of the country, and if factors such as hidden unemployment prevail, it becomes an obstacle to economic development and growth, and the situation leads to worsening.

Hidden unemployment increases social costs. In this process, on the one hand, the government has to pay high costs to support people who are ineffectively engaged in jobs, and on the other hand, irresponsibility and inattention to the provision of public services by government employees, also puts additional costs on the shoulders of citizens and private institutions and non-governmental organizations and acts as an obstacle to growth and development.

With the continuation of such a situation, general dissatisfaction is formed and citizens lose their confidence due to work disruptions and excessive prolongation of work processes, and they also lose hope and motivation in life.