India faces a strange paradox — millions of young people are highly educated, yet they can’t find suitable jobs. This has led to a rise in underemployment, where individuals work in positions below their education level or outside their field of study.
🔹 Degree Without Opportunity
Every year, India produces millions of graduates and postgraduates from universities.
- However, the number of available quality jobs is far fewer than the number of educated job seekers.
- As a result, many youth are forced to take temporary, low-paying, or unrelated jobs.
Example: An MBA working as a call center agent or a B.Tech graduate driving a delivery bike.
🔹 Job Market Imbalance
There is a clear imbalance between education output and job market demand.
- Too many degrees are being awarded in traditional subjects with limited job scope.
- Meanwhile, industries need workers with technical, digital, and analytical skills, not just general graduates.
The result is a surplus of educated youth but a shortage of employable talent.
🔹 Unrealistic Job Expectations
Many educated youth have high salary and job position expectations after graduation.
- They often reject entry-level jobs, hoping for immediate managerial roles.
- Employers prefer candidates with experience and skill, not just degrees.
This leads to longer job searches and higher unemployment among the educated.
🔹 Education Inflation
The value of degrees has decreased because too many people hold them.
- Earlier, a bachelor’s degree was enough to get a good job; now even postgraduates struggle.
- Companies now look for specialized skills or certifications, not just qualifications.
This phenomenon is called “education inflation”, where more education doesn’t guarantee better jobs.
🔹 Mismatch Of Qualification
Many young people work in fields unrelated to their qualifications.
- For example, a science graduate working in sales or customer support.
- This happens because the number of jobs in their trained field is limited.
This kind of mismatch leads to frustration, stress, and a waste of human potential.
🔹 Underemployment
Underemployment means working below your potential, skill, or education level.
- Youth may be working part-time, freelancing, or doing informal jobs despite being highly educated.
- They earn less and gain little career growth.
This is one of the hidden forms of unemployment in India’s educated youth population.
🔹 Limited Industry Growth
Many sectors in India, especially manufacturing, R&D, and public service, are not expanding fast enough to absorb new graduates.
- Job creation has not kept pace with the number of students graduating every year.
- Startups and small businesses, which could hire youth, often face funding or policy challenges.
This results in educated youth chasing too few good jobs.
🔹 Possible Solutions
To address Overqualified No Job and Underemployment, India needs:
Career Guidance – Educate students early about real job market needs.
Skill Development – Promote practical and technical training instead of only academic degrees.
Entrepreneurship Support – Motivate youth to create jobs through startups and self-employment.
Industry Linked Education – Align university courses with the actual skill needs of industries.
Summary
India’s youth are not short of education — they are short of opportunities and relevant skills.
The Overqualified No Job crisis highlights the urgent need for balanced education, employability training, and economic reforms that create meaningful jobs.