Untapped employability skills of transgender people: examining links with antisocial elements in society

Purpose This study highlights the self-reinforcing cycle in which educated yet unemployed transgender people are systematically marginalized. It aims to explore how structural exclusion, despite educational attainment, drives these individuals towards anti-social activities not by choice, but as a survival response to persistent societal and economic barriers. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts a quantitative approach, collecting data through questionnaire and case studies of transgender people who, despite holding educational qualifications, face unemployment. Findings Findings indicate that education alone does not overcome deep-rooted societal biases. Transgender people continue to experience systemic exclusion, which foster proliferation of antisocial elements and compel many into informal or criminalized economies for survival. Research limitations/implications The study focuses primarily on specific contexts and may not fully capture the experiences of transgender people in rural areas or different cultural settings. Further comparative research is encouraged to validate and expand these findings. Originality/value This study provides an original contribution by linking the interplay between educational attainment, unemployment, structural exclusion and forced involvement in anti-social activities among transgender people. It challenges the assumption that education is sufficient for social and economic integration.