A recent study revealed that young individuals residing in climate-vulnerable areas in Bangladesh are faced with a 21.7 percent lower likelihood of securing a satisfactory job compared to their counterparts in other regions of the country. The research emphasized that this employment disparity persists across various industries, demographics, and age groups, indicating a strong statistical correlation.
These research findings were unveiled during a dissemination workshop titled “Just Transition in Bangladesh: Economic Security and Transition Support for Young People,” jointly organized by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) and ActionAid Bangladesh in Dhaka. The study, which involved surveying 625 workers aged 15-35 in nine districts and across four key sectors including agriculture, readymade garment (RMG), construction, and transport, underscored the lack of effective mechanisms to facilitate Bangladesh’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Stakeholders such as government officials, employers’ associations, and civil society representatives engaged in discussions based on the study’s outcomes, advocating for the implementation of national skills training programs aligned with evolving job trends, enhanced data collection on informal laborers, and the inclusion of polytechnic students and marginalized communities in future research endeavors.
Farah Kabir, the country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, who presided over the event, emphasized the need for vocational training programs that cater to the current demands of the job market, improved social safeguards for informal and construction workers, and active participation of youth in shaping the transitional process.
The study brought to light the precarious conditions faced by construction workers, who often lack adequate wage and injury protections, with compensation for workplace fatalities limited to Tk 2 lakh, frequently going unpaid. Workers in the construction and transport sectors reported heightened exposure to occupational hazards, with transport workers particularly vulnerable to dust, noise, and heat-related risks.
Livelihood security was notably lowest among transport workers, encompassing factors such as income stability, employment contract terms, and social welfare coverage. Conversely, garment workers exhibited more favorable conditions, with a young garment worker being 55.5 percent more likely to secure a satisfactory job compared to a transport worker, primarily attributed to higher rates of formal employment agreements.
In terms of transitioning support preferences, the study highlighted that young workers across all sectors overwhelmingly favored cash assistance and job placement assistance as key forms of support needed during the transition phase.
