In Nepal’s Constitution, the Right to Employment is more than a promise, it’s a guarantee. Yet in Kathmandu, where thousands of young people continue to leave the country each year in search of work abroad, this right often feels out of reach.

The Constitution of Nepal, 2072, recognises the Right to Employment as a fundamental right under Article 33. To translate this guarantee into practice, the Federal Government enacted The Right to Employment Act, 2075 (2018) . This Act sets out clear mechanisms, such as establishing Employment Service Centers (ESC), skill matching programs and minimum employment guarantees, intended to deliver tangible opportunities for citizens. 

But on the ground, the situation is very different. Insights from the April 2025 workshop between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Nepal’s Ministry of Labour revealed systemic problems: unclear mandates, unstable funding, inadequate staffing, and the absence of functional job-matching systems. These gaps cripple the very institutions meant to deliver the right to employment. 

A Persistent Challenge

A constant stream of labour migration continues to drain Kathmandu’s workforce, fuelled by the disconnect between policy and practice. The frustration is particularly stark among young adults, many of whom no longer believe in the promise of employment at home. According to World Bank reports, Nepal’s unemployment rate in 2024 stood at 10.71 percent. This suggests that more than one in ten Nepalis were actively seeking but were unable to find work.  

What Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Has Done So Far 

In August 2023, KMC launched the Labour Bank under the “Kathmandu’s Prosperity, Employment and Income Generation” project. Under this scheme, it pledged to train 15,000 people and generate 5,000 jobs within three years.

Results were mixed. By mid 2024, 911 people were employed through the Labour Bank– 329 in private firms and 583 in municipal roles. More than 6,000 individuals received training via Skill Fair, KMC centres, and online platforms, with around 455 securing skilled work. KMC also supported 800 youths in finding jobs or starting businesses. 

By mid 2025, over 1,000 youths applied to the Labour Bank, with around 400 already employed in sanitation, river maintenance, and infrastructure repair. 

These efforts are steps in the right direction. But they also highlight a fundamental weakness: while the Labour Bank connects job seekers to opportunities, it falls short of fulfilling the ESC model envisioned under the Act.

What More Can be Done 

The Labour Bank, in its current form, functions as an online marketplace. It works for those with internet access, digital literacy, and  familiarity with application processes. But it leaves behind precisely those who need it the most: people without internet access or technical knowhow, the less educated, or those unfamiliar with navigating online systems. The exclusion is stark, cutting out many who urgently need jobs.

What KMC lacks, and what the Act mandates, are physical ESCs. These centres could act as one-stop hubs: registering job seekers, verifying qualifications, offering resume support, mock interviews, and career guidance, while maintaining updated employment databases. They could help low-wage workers move up into better-paying roles, and ensure accountability and oversight that digital platforms alone cannot guarantee.

A Way Forward 

For the Right to Employment to move beyond rhetoric in Kathmandu,  a multi-pronged approach is necessary. ESCs, Labour Banks, skill development, and job-matching platforms must work in sync. ESCs should not only connect job seekers to opportunities but also create pathways for long-term employment readiness.

Priority must also be given to marginalised groups like women, Dalits, the economically destitute, martyr’s families, and families of the disappeared, who remain the most vulnerable in Kathmandu’s job market.

A well-functioning ESC could become the epicentre of employment opportunities, where unemployed individuals receive a curated list of jobs suited to their skills and background.  These centres could also assist and help low wage workers in upgrading to better paying roles  based on shifts in the job market. 

What else could ESCs offer? They could work as a one-stop hub for employment readiness, providing career guidance, resume building, mock interviews, seasonal or part-time job matching, and personalised support. In short, ESCs could systematically and legally connect unemployed citizens to meaningful work, thereby fulfilling the constitutional promise of the Right to Employment.

Urgent Steps to Bridge the Gap 

The government needs to urgently implement the following measures to bridge the gap between policy and action 

•  Ensure proper functioning of physical ESCs: As required under Pursuant to Section 10 of the Act, KMC shall issue municipal orders to guarantee that ESCs at each local level are fully functional and operate under the authority of the local government.
• Strengthen accountability: Physical ESCs  should verify qualifications, guide employers on lawful hiring practices, and maintain transparent employment records.
• Enable access to justice: With ESCs functioning, citizens must be able to file complaints under the Act within the prescribed thirty-five-day timeframe, ensuring timely action and enforcement of penalties.
• Widen awareness: KMC must run outreach campaigns, both online and offline,  so that all citizens understand their rights and know how to access opportunities through the ESCs.
• Protect Workers’ Rights: A stronger ESC system can prevent exploitation, strengthen employer accountability, and restore faith in the constitutional guarantee.

The Right to Employment Act, 2075, was designed to be more than a policy, it was meant to be a lifeline. Yet in Kathmandu, this lifeline has been left frayed.

It is now up to Kathmandu Metropolitan City to ensure that the promise made by Nepal’s Constitution to its citizens is kept.