Thiruvananthapuram tops in job-seekers, Kozhikode second

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has a Technopark and a host of government offices but Thiruvananthapuram still holds the unenviable distinction of being the district with the most number of job seekers, both male and female. Perhaps, as planners aver, these very offices could have swelled the number of job aspirants. As on March 31, 2016, the capital district ranks first in the number of work seekers in general and professional/technical categories.

The total number of work seekers in Thiruvananthapuram district is 5.9 lakh; of which 2.98 lakh are women and 2.94 lakh men. Planners attribute this to the fact that the district has the largest number of government offices and autonomous bodies in the state. The district also has a large number of professional colleges. What's more, along with Ernakulam, the capital has a fairly developed IT infrastructure. “Such academic and professional infrastructure is a big lure for those in rural areas and other parts of the state to migrate to the capital,” Jacob Mathew, a demography expert said.

The figure is also a reflection that Malayalis still prefer government jobs over private sector jobs. The second largest number of job seekers is from Kozhikode with 3.9 lakh persons, another place where there are more government jobs than private jobs. The lowest number of work seekers is in Wayanad district with 0.92 lakh persons, preceded by Kasargod with 0.97 lakh persons. Male work seekers exceed female is only three districts, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki. However, all registered job seekers cannot be treated as unemployed.

Youngsters register their names mainly for permanent government jobs while many of them may be engaged in some useful productive work or might have migrated to other states or foreign countries for employment. “Even though the live registers have been computerised no effective mechanism is put in place to find out those persons who are engaged in useful productive work,” a Planning Board official said.