YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT-A GENERATION STIGMA

“We cannot always build the future for our youth,

But we can build our youth for the future.”

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

The world is falling apart; our earth is losing some of the greatest ignited minds, as a whole we are losing our
own YOUTH. Can anyone guess its reason?? Yes! It is the rising phenomenon of YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT, a
fear to us and the coming generations ahead.

The Current Scenario:-

“More than one billion jobs need to be created between now and 2020 to accommodate
Young workers entering the labour force and reduce unemployment.

Over the next two-decades some less developed regions will see a temporary “bulge” in
the working age population relative to older and younger dependants.

This “demographic bonus” offers countries an opportunity to build human capital and
Spur long-term development – if they invest in education, jobs and health services….”

At present, three billion people live on less than US $2 per day as poverty continues to escalate. In many
countries, especially in the developing world, half of those people are under the age of 24. In almost all
countries improvements in living standards have been minimal and reflect no substantial change in the lives of
the vast majority. And in more than 20 countries conditions are worsening considerably. The number of young
people globally is about to become the largest in history relative to the adult population. At present in country
like INDIA, more than 50 percent of the population is under the age of 25, or just over three billion individuals
are youth or children. In terms of youth alone (age 15 – 24), there are over 1.3 billion youth in the world today.
This means that approximately one person in five is between the age of 15 and24 years, or 17 percent of the
world’s population is "youth". The implications for instability represented by this overall scenario are alarming
and likely to continue.

The problem of youth unemployment is rapidly assuming dangerous proportions in many countries as their
economies and educational systems are unable to accommodate these numbers of youth. In many developing
countries even low levels of economic growth are not predicted, and thus limit their labour absorptive capacity.
Indeed shrinkage of their economies, and related livelihood opportunities are expected. Economists advise that
the current system will not meet the supply of labour available. Thus,
Youth unemployment is an urgent global issue that has repercussions in demographic, social, economic, health,
and environmental spheres. These impacts will be felt at the individual, familial, national and global levels if not
addressed, and this is a prescription for disaster.

AFFECTING US AND THE SOCIETY

Given that the majority of the world’s unemployed live in countries with minimal welfare systems, no
employment equates to no income and therefore no food, no shelter, no medicine and none of the
other basic necessities of life. In countries where family represents the only safety net, the
unemployment of those that should be key breadwinners extends the negative financial impact of
unemployment to entire families.

But youth unemployment has other national and global impacts notably increased violence, crime and
political instability. Desperation can drive many people into living outside the law both to survive and
as a means of expressing dissatisfaction at the apparent neglect of their very existence. Many of
the most unstable countries are also those with very high youth unemployment rates.

As employers stop hiring young people we face the prospect of losing a generation, with dire consequences for
the economy. Irrespective of class, young people are always disproportionately affected by recession. Without
the experience or training of their adult competitors, the young are the first to be hit by recruitment squeezes,
while those in work are often the last in and the first out. On top of this, they also suffer more from the periods
of unemployment they do have. A bleak gap of two years on the CV looks bad at any age, but straight
out of school it can brand a young person as unemployable. Similarly, a pile of rejection letters
from employers can damage anyone's self-esteem, but young people don't have the confidence of
past employment to keep them going. Being hit so hard at the first hurdle, some may be tempted
to quit the game altogether.

TACKLING UNEMPLOYMENT

Helping young people into work is not charity; it's an investment. In this context, allowing youth unemployment
to "take its course" is simply bad economics. If we want to get out of this recession, we need to utilise all the
young talent we have – irrespective of what class it comes from.

If provided with an enabling environment and opportunities, youth in both developed and
developing countries can be key agents for social change, economic development and
technological innovation. Youth bring with them boundless energy, imagination, creativity, ideals,
and a limitless vision for their future and the societies in which they live. If not utilized, they are a
wasted resource. Thus, it is imperative that youth are harnessed as part of society. This can be
achieved through providing sustainable and decent employment and livelihoods opportunities for
them.

“The youth gets together his materials to build a bridge to the moon, or,
perchance, a palace or temple on the earth, and, at length, the middle-aged man
concludes to build a woodshed with them.”
-Henry David Thoreau