In a startling revelation, more than three-fourths of 2,477 aspirant migrants – all PhD holders registered on the Ami Probashi app – have opted for blue-collar jobs in their desperate attempt to go abroad, a trend that shows a lack of appropriate jobs for them in the local market.
While some of these highly educated individuals have chosen high-skill professions such as engineers, accountants, IT professionals, and medical doctors, an overwhelming majority, numbering 1,879 have selected “labourer” as their job of choice on the app.
Beyond these PhD holders, the trend extends to approximately 50,000 graduates and postgraduates who have similarly expressed interest in low-skilled employment opportunities in traditional migrant destinations.
Other commonly chosen job categories include cleaners, drivers, general workers, hotel boys, businessmen, salesmen, office assistants, construction workers, electricians, waiters, and computer operators.
Mismatch of qualification and jobs
This inconsistent trend of highly educated job-seekers choosing low-skilled jobs is being attributed by migration experts to a lack of professional opportunities at home and the broader prospects of securing jobs abroad.
Migration experts contend that the frustration with the local job market is driving highly educated individuals to opt for low-skill positions overseas. They believe that taking up less skilled roles could provide the needed toehold for educated applicants eager to leave their home country and highlights a significant and concerning shift in the aspirations of Bangladesh’s educated workforce.
Syeda Rozana Rashid, a migration expert and international relations professor at Dhaka University, told The Business Standard that this trend may stem from limited job opportunities in the country, leading individuals to pursue jobs below their qualifications.
She also noted that another reason could be the opportunity to move abroad permanently. “Once abroad, people tend to stay back seeking a better life.”
The Ami Probashi app – a government-sponsored phone app and web portal that assists aspiring Bangladeshi migrants in gaining employment abroad – lets aspirants select up to five preferred job types and destinations.
The preferences span across 515 job categories in 180 countries on the app, affiliated with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
Destinations include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Italy, Singapore, Bahrain, United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Prof Rozana, however, said more research is needed to understand this data, especially regarding the origins of their PhD qualifications as the quality can vary significantly.
“Out of the 2,500 applicants so far, none have uploaded proof of their PhD degrees. Some may be choosing lower-skilled jobs alongside their academic credentials to broaden their prospects,” explained the professor.
A female applicant, wishing anonymity, told TBS that she applied through the app to join her husband in Japan.
She claimed to hold a PhD or equivalent degree from Patuakhali University of Science and Technology but declined to share further details about her qualifications or career goals.
Though low-skill jobs are the most common choices of PhD degree holders, they were also open to at least 82 types of skilled and professional jobs, as per Ami Probashi data.
The high-skill job categories also include manager, marketing specialist, pharmacist, banker, microbiologist, chemist, textile engineer, and nutrition specialist, among others.
A master’s graduate with a corporate job, who also preferred anonymity, mentioned that he chose a driver’s job because he just wanted to move abroad. He felt that choosing a less-skilled job would make it easier.
Over the period from 2022 to April this year, the Ami Probashi database has witnessed a significant influx of over 22 lakh fresh registrations. Among them, 72% have not completed a secondary level of education.
Quality of PhDs in question
Asif Munier, a migration expert and an ILO consultant, told TBS that the PhD holders who have chosen low-skilled jobs might be seeking opportunities abroad due to difficulties in finding jobs locally and out of frustration in the local job opportunities.
Some individuals feel that having more job options increases their chances and they may apply for lower-skilled positions in the Middle East if they have connections there, he added.
“In Europe, competition is tough, and without strong qualifications, it’s challenging for highly educated individuals to relocate. Therefore, some might consider mid-level jobs in Middle Eastern countries, where the earnings could support their families,” said Munier.
Currently, 56 public universities in the country offer PhD programmes. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is now considering allowing private universities to offer PhD.
Bangladesh has 51,704 PhD or doctorate degree holders at the moment, as reported by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) based on its Population and Housing Census 2022. According to the UGC, the number of teachers with doctorate degrees in the local universities rose to 5,606 in 2021 from 4,766 in 2017.
As many as 4,433 students earned doctorate degrees from 27 public universities from 2017 to 2021.
Education experts said only institutions meeting specific standards should be authorised to offer these programmes amid criticism about the quality of PhD provided by some public universities.
Concerns have been raised about full-time government job holders, including bureaucrats and senior officials of law-enforcement agencies, pursuing PhDs without doing serious research.
“One of the main reasons for the current plight of PhD degrees in Bangladesh is the declining quality of research. Many PhD candidates complete their thesis in a hurry and the rationale and basis of their research is often not clear. There is a serious deficiency in ensuring the depth and quality of research,” Dr AKM Ahsan Ullah, a migration expert and faculty member of University of Brunei Darussalam, recently wrote in a newspaper article.
“Political influence and nepotism are affecting the quality of PhD degrees in Bangladesh. Many government officials and influential people used their power and influence to get admission in universities and get PhD degrees. Many consider political affiliations in choosing their supervisors,” he added.
Eminent researcher and UGC member Prof Dr Haseena Khan said in an event at Chittagong University on 4 June, “We have to create entrepreneurs and do PhD in our own country. It is important to do a PhD in one’s own country. Many raise questions about the quality of such PhDs but it is the university’s job to set standards. It is important to conduct more research to build a smart Bangladesh.”
Educated unemployment on a rise
According to the Labour Force Survey 2022, released by the BBS in October 2023, the unemployment rate among individuals with tertiary-level education increased to 12% in 2022 from 11.2% in 2016-17 while the overall unemployment is less than 4%.
Over the past five years, the number of unemployed graduates doubled, increasing to 8 lakh from around 4 lakh five years ago.
In FY17, the highest unemployment rate was among those with higher secondary and equivalent education. However, in 2022, it shifted to those with tertiary-equivalent education.
Also, the recent Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics Report 2022 of the BBS indicated that approximately 41% of youth (aged 15 to 24), predominantly girls, are neither in education, employment, nor receiving any job training. The inactivity rate is 61.71% among girls and lower among boys at 18.59%.
TBS
