Despite a decline in the unemployment rate since 2014, a total of 54.5 percent of Rana Plaza survivors are currently unemployed, said a study of ActionAid Bangladesh.

Among them, 89 percent have been without work for the past 5 to 8 years, while 5.5 percent have been unemployed for the last 3 to 4 years, said the study.

The study, conducted by Institute of Social Business (ISB) on behalf of ActionAid Bangladesh, was revealed in a multilogue titled ‘The Rana Plaza Experience: Tragedy to Transformation’ on Wednesday at a convention hall in Dhaka on the 10th year anniversary of Rana Plaza collapse.

The study was conducted among 200 survivors and families of deceased workers affected by the Rana Plaza tragedy. Among the respondents, 69.5 percent were women, and 30.5 percent were men.

The study also found that the key reason for those who are currently unemployed is their physical health conditions. Additionally, 21 percent of respondents reported that they could not find a suitable job.

Another 200 current garment workers were assessed in this study for safety situations in their factories. More than half of the respondents (52.2 percent) felt that the frequency of initiatives taken by factory management was inadequate.

Around 19.9 percent of the respondents reported that their factories lack firefighting equipment, while 23.4 percent stated that emergency fire exits are not available.

The session was attended by Farah Kabir, ActionAid Bangladesh’s Country Director, Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director, ILO Country Office for Bangladesh, Julia Jesmin, Joint Inspector General, Department of Inspection for Factories Establishments (DIFE), among others.