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YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RISING IN SOUTH ASIA AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Sarid Staff, November 1, 2006

As the number of young unemployed increased from 74 million to 85 million over the past ten years, there were more than 300 million youth who were living below the US $2 per day poverty line, notes a report by the International Labour Office (ILO).

The highest unemployment rate was observed In the Middle East and North Africa: 25.7 per cent. In Central and Eastern Europe (non-EU) the rate was 19.9 per cent; Sub-Saharan Africa 18.1 per cent; Latin America and the Caribbean 16.6 per cent; South East Asia and the Pacific 15.8 per cent.  The European Union prides itself with 13.1 per cent and East Asia with only 7.8 per cent.

It is important to note that in the developing regions, such as South Asia, young women face disproportionate challenges in the labor market. The report note that this is mainly due to cultural traditions, lack of work opportunities, and a tendency of labor markets to shed young women more rapidly than men when fewer job opportunities are available.

The report also illuminates a drastic increase in the number of young people who are neither in employment nor in education. The report estimated that in Central and Eastern Europe 34 per cent of youth falls in this category. In sub-Saharan Africa the rate was 27 per cent, while in Central and South America it was 21 per cent. In the developed countries, on the other hand, that number was only 13 per cent. 

"Despite increased economic growth, the inability of economies to create enough decent and productive jobs is hitting the world's young especially hard", warns ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. "Not only are we seeing a growing deficit of decent work opportunities and high levels of economic uncertainty, but this worrying trend threatens to damage the future economic prospects of one of our worlds' greatest assets - our young men and women."

The report calls for development of comprehensive strategies aimed at giving young people a chance to maximize their productive potential through decent employment, as well as for an increase of international aid for the most vulnerable youth in order to bring them back into the fold of a civil society.

“It is] recognized within the UN as well as other international organizations and governments that only through decent employment opportunities can young people get the chance to work themselves out of poverty," notes Mr. Somavia, urging a broad and immediate action.

[International Labour Organization: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2006/48.htm]