When numbers don�t make sense
Friday, August 18, 2017
Statistics Botswana says unemployment is declining yet the situation on the ground suggests the opposite
While some people see this as a welcome development to the country, whose unemployment rate once hit a record high of 26.2% in 2008, others question the figure or its significance, saying it might not reflect the realities of Botswana’s job market.
On the ground, it seems that job prospects for university graduates have declined, with fewer and fewer people finding full-time employment after completing higher education.
That rare sight deserves heartfelt praise, not only for President Duma Boko and his administration, but also for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), the Mogae family, and the entire country.President Boko’s decision to grant a full state funeral to a man who belonged to a rival party was a mark of true statesmanship. He recognised that national leadership carries a weight that belongs to the whole...