Several residents in Kabul have voiced concerns over the worsening unemployment and growing poverty in the city. They cite the return of migrants, the reduction of humanitarian aid, capital flight, and job restrictions as the main factors fueling these two crises. Residents of the capital also point out that the lack of investment in infrastructure, the excessive focus on specific sectors, and the neglect of others have further constrained the job market.
Kabul residents say they are deeply worried about the shrinking employment opportunities. They report that as the number of returnees has increased, poverty and unemployment have worsened. According to these residents, while the labor force has grown, job opportunities have become even more limited.
Hedayatullah Siddiqi (pseudonym), a resident of Kabul’s District 11, says that the return of a large number of migrants has severely limited the job market, as the labor supply now far exceeds the market’s capacity. He also identifies the lack of transparency in institutions and the failure to hire qualified individuals as key contributors to poverty and unemployment. Siddiqi adds that the shortage of job opportunities and repeated rejections have demotivated many people and created serious psychological effects.
He explains, “One of the major issues in recruitment is the absence of meritocracy. Most institutions conduct job exams or interviews only as a formality, and in the end, they hire based on personal connections or favoritism. When someone receives multiple rejections from different institutions, it’s natural for that to have a deeply negative impact on their mental state.”
Sama Nouri (pseudonym), a resident of Kabul’s District 3, says, “The job market situation is extremely dire, and it has worsened with the return of migrants. Neither those living inside Afghanistan nor those returning from abroad have access to work. Once a person becomes unemployed, it may take seven or eight months before they can find another job.”
She adds, “Another cause of unemployment is that the labor force has grown disproportionately in certain fields while the job market for those fields remains limited. This imbalance exists because not all disciplines and sectors receive equal attention. When people see that a particular field is profitable, everyone rushes toward it. Now, for example, most people pursue medicine or engineering, while other disciplines and arts are neglected.”
Homa Rangin (pseudonym), another woman who agrees with Sama’s remarks, says that the restrictions imposed by the Taliban have also worsened poverty and unemployment. Rangin, who graduated from the Faculty of Journalism at Kabul University three years ago, says she has been unable to find a job in her field and currently makes a living through tailoring.
“I really haven’t been able to find a suitable job in the past three years,” she says. “This unemployment and hardship have taken a serious toll on my mental health. Sometimes I feel extremely hopeless and tell myself that I studied journalism to be the voice of the girls and women of Afghanistan. I had hoped to work in my profession and bring journalism to people in its true sense. But with the current situation, I feel that my education has been in vain. Now, to make ends meet, I sew clothes, blankets, bags, and other items.”
The journalism graduate adds that family discrimination is another factor contributing to women’s unemployment, explaining that in many households, sons and daughters are not treated equally, and girls are denied educational opportunities. Rangin emphasizes, “The more capable, skilled, and educated a woman is, the greater her chances of being hired and employed in institutions.”
Meanwhile, several economic experts identify the reduction of humanitarian aid, Afghanistan’s political isolation, and capital flight as the main causes of long-term poverty and unemployment.
Mir Shekab Mir, an economic analyst, says that political isolation has severely undermined economic growth and development, causing poverty and unemployment to persist in society. “Political isolation has weakened Afghanistan’s prospects for economic stability, foreign trade development, and engagement with influential countries and key international institutions, including their financial and technical assistance,” he explains. “This situation obstructs economic growth, making poverty reduction and job creation nearly impossible.”
Azarakhsh Hafizi, another economic expert, notes that the decline in humanitarian aid has exacerbated poverty and unemployment. He points out that for the past century, Afghanistan has benefited from the unconditional assistance of the international community. “Previously, the United Nations implemented a program called Sustainable Development in developing countries,” Hafizi says, “which in Afghanistan was known as the Citizens’ Charter, run through the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and several other ministries. Nearly 7,000 projects were implemented under this program. The suspension of these projects has directly affected job opportunities and poverty reduction.”
He continues, “Now, all such aid has stopped, and only humanitarian assistance continues—primarily to prevent starvation and a humanitarian catastrophe. Although these types of aid do not have economic returns, they can help reduce chronic poverty to some extent. However, if even these aid programs are reduced or completely halted, people’s suffering will double.”
This comes as the International Crisis Group recently reported that with the reduction of humanitarian aid, Afghanistan is sinking deeper into poverty. Following the Taliban’s takeover, capital flight, the sharp decline in foreign aid, and sweeping restrictions on women’s and girls’ employment have all intensified the crisis, whose impact continues to expand day by day.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
بحران بیکاری در افغانستان؛ باشندهگان کابل از فقر و موج بیکاری نگرانند
