YOUTH AND EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA

For the majority of young people in developing countries the innocence and freedoms of childhood end early as the harsh realities of survival, gaining an education, and preparing for the responsibilities of adulthood take over.
Despite the yearly increase in the number of children attending school and those completing tertiary education, in most developing countries, millions of young people face bleak employment opportunities. They see their parents struggle to survive, and find it even harder for themselves. Youth unemployment rates are stubbornly high. According to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) most recent estimates, 88 million young people around the world (nearly 50 percent of the total number of unemployed) are struggling to find a job. How do they cope? And how can they survive without social security and family support?
Unemployment rates often hide more than they reveal: in this case, the huge numbers of young people working long hours in the informal economy for little pay, and without any guarantee of permanent employment or social security. It has been estimated that the informal economy provides all the new jobs for youth in Latin America, and almost 90 percent of those in sub-Saharan Africa.  At the root of youth unemployment lies serious problems related to illiteracy and lack of technical skills. According to the World Youth Report 2003, 113 million primary school age children were not in school in 2000. These children will become the next generation of illiterate youth, replacing the current group of an estimate 130 million. However evidence suggests that education is not a panacea per se, and labour markets in many countries are presently unable to accommodate the expanding pools of skilled young graduates, according to the 2005 World Report. In Africa, in line with education, another factor affecting the school attendance is the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is the leading cause of death among young people. According to the US based NGO, Advocate for Youth, Young people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS often face disrupted schooling due to demands at home for their help, the inability of sick or stressed parents to pay school fees and stigma and discrimination. In 1995, the UN World Programme of Action for Youth, WPAY, established that for any intervention to remedy the unemployment question, 10 priority areas for action must be addressed. They comprise: education, hunger and poverty, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure time activities, girls and women, employment and effective participation of youth in society and decision making. The predicament of disenchanted youth is particularly striking in Africa , where millions have difficulty in making ends meeting. Living on the fringe of society, eking out a living on the black market, they are at an added risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Rampant poverty and the lack of alternatives makes them more prone to fill the economic vacuum by enlisting in armed factions or gangs or become drawn to sexual exploitation. Even if they escape the pull of vice or crime, most will have no skills or training to help them contribute to the society, and will see them swell ranks of the low paid. In this context, the future of the next generation greatly depends on how the Kenyan government in transition will cope with a population explosion of young people, who have increasing demands and expectations.  The root causes of youth unemployment in Africa, include the global economy that has entered a recession phase, and this has an effect to the national economy. As such the economy cannot absorb huge numbers to the workforce. This is exacerbated by the effect of the post conflict management. Secondly Youth employment is highly dependant on the over all status of the economy. Economic activity measured by GDP growth, is probably the single factor that influences the chances of young people finding jobs. Low or negative GDP growth, economic recession and low investment are direct causes in the shrinking demand far labour. At times of limited labour opportunities, young people are the worst placed to secure jobs, given their relative inexperience and lack of relevant skills. Also, their lack of training or experience means that they are the first to loose their jobs in the event of a down turn in the economy. Finally high unemployed rates have bred a vicious cycle. As unemployment remains high, there is less spending within the economy, the economy remains stagnant, production falters, no jobs are created and the state receives less revenue in taxes and cannot make reforms to boost the economy.     

Article Topic

• Year of African Youth