The Hon. (Dr.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education

¶ 01 Minimization of Unemployment: Statement

¶ 02 Hon. Speaker, in response to the question raised under Standing Order 27(2) by the Leader of the Opposition on 23.09.2025, I state as follows.

¶ 03 1. Current unemployment in Sri Lanka is 365,958 persons. The unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in 2024; it declined from 4.5 percent in Q1 2024 to 3.8 percent in 2025. The Q2 rate fell from 4.7 percent in 2024 to 3.8 percent in 2025. (Source: Sri Lanka Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2024 and Labour Force Survey Quarterly Reports Q1 and Q2 2025, Department of Census and Statistics)

¶ 04 2. Unemployed persons by education level: - Below G.C.E. (O/L): 103,308 - G.C.E. (O/L): 91,405 - G.C.E. (A/L): 128,984 - Degree and above: 42,254 (Source: Sri Lanka Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2024, DCS)

¶ 05 3. A high unemployment rate can create adverse social conditions; however, even advanced economies with higher growth face unemployment and social issues. Where unemployment is around 4.5 to 5 percent or less, it is difficult to claim it inherently creates a calamitous social condition.

¶ 06 4. The Government has undertaken short-, medium- and long-term measures to minimize unemployment. These are set out in the annex tabled.

¶ 07 5. Targets for reducing unemployment over the next few years (State Investment Programme 2026–2030): - 2025: 4.4% - 2026: 4.2% - 2027: 4.2%

¶ 08 6. The present Government plans to provide employment to approximately 35,000–40,000 graduates. Based on the recommendations of the Committee for Reviewing Recruitment Processes and Staff Management, with Cabinet approval, recruitments to fill vacancies in the public service will be made through a formal process. To date, approval has been granted to recruit 12,309, and Ministries are proceeding accordingly. Upon receipt of the final judgment in the Appeal Court matter pertaining to recruitment to Grade 3-I (A) of the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Service, recruitment of about 25,000 graduates will be effected immediately; arrangements are in place. In total, around 37,000 graduates will be provided employment under the Government’s plan.

¶ 09 Annex tabled:

¶ 10 Short-term measures - To ensure efficient functioning of the public service, the Committee reviewing public service recruitment and staff management has recommended filling 76,988 public service vacancies; Cabinet approval has been obtained to proceed. - Certain essential vacancies were filled during 2025. Selection processes and competitive examinations are being updated. New recruitments will be strictly according to examinations and service regulations, free of political interference. - Awareness and training programmes by the Ministry of Labour, annually, to connect unemployed youth, informal sector workers, persons with disabilities, women and persons with special needs to the active labour market; facilitation of seed capital and market linkage for youth to start enterprises in specialised skills areas.

¶ 11 Short-term measures via Budget 2026 for employment promotion - Allocation to regularize approximately 9,800 temporary, casual, substitute, contract and welfare-based appointees in the public service. - Rs. 500 million to incentivize placement of youth with disabilities and special needs in private sector employment. - Rs. 240 million to District Secretariats to promote women’s self-employment and cottage industries to increase female labour force participation. - Special training for 5,000 Civil Security Department officers and secondment to the Department of Wildlife Conservation to strengthen elephant monitoring and minimize human-elephant conflict.