Daily Wage Workers in Herat Struggle to Find Even One Day of Work per Week
A number of daily wage workers in the city of Herat say that despite waiting for hours at job-seeking checkpoints, at best they manage to find work for only one or two days per week; a situation that, according to them, seriously jeopardizes their ability to provide for their families.
At one of the gathering places for workers in the city, hundreds of men assemble every day from dawn, hoping to be hired for a day’s work. Local residents say that about 500 workers wait daily in this area, but only a few succeed in securing work.
Most of these workers are breadwinners for large families, and returning home empty-handed means continued economic hardship for their family members. Their tired faces and anxious expressions reflect the widespread unemployment crisis in this province.
Economic experts emphasize that Afghanistan has significant potential in the agriculture and livestock sectors; with effective management of these areas, sustainable job opportunities can be created. They believe the fundamental solution to reducing poverty and unemployment lies in targeted investment and long-term planning in these fields.
Meanwhile, Taliban officials in Herat talk about efforts to create job opportunities. Hafiz Mirza Abu Muhammad Mansour, head of Herat’s Department of Labor and Social Affairs, stated that in the first 11 months of this year, 2,525 work permits have been issued to residents of the province.
He added that the process of issuing more permits continues; however, daily wage workers say that issuing work permits alone does not meet the labor market’s needs, and until practical and sustainable projects are established, the unemployment problem will remain.
