Why youth unemployment crisis persists despite post-Covid economic recovery
ILO says a primary issue is the distinct lack of productive opportunities in African countries especially, with many young people unable to access decent and formal employment.
Recounting how hard it has been for him moving from office to office, making countless job applications online and reaching out to people in the hope of job referrals, 27-year-old Brian is a hopeless Kenyan youth.
Speaking to The Eastleigh Voice, Brian expressed his disappointment over not securing a permanent job more than two years after earning his bachelor's degree in 2022.
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Brian reckons that the country's job market is not as promising, stating that he has lost hope of succeeding in his search for employment. Despite his education, he has found himself reliant on informal rural work and online gigs.
His frustration with the job market reflects the grim reality many youths in Kenya and across Africa face.
Brian thus predicts a grim future where young people will be stuck in an endless cycle of temporary jobs.
According to the Federation of Kenyan Employers (FKE), although the overall unemployment rate in Kenya is at 12.7 per cent, youth (15-34 year-olds), who form 35 per cent of the Kenyan population, have the highest unemployment rate of 67 per cent.
Across the continent, FKE says Africa has a population of almost 200 million people aged between 15 and 24, a category that makes up 40 per cent of the workforce, and 60 per cent of the unemployed active labour force.
"This number is expected to double by 2045, bringing a big challenge on African economies since high youth unemployment is an impending threat to stability in Africa."
Notably, the Employment and Social Outlook report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), says the youth unemployment crisis has persisted despite signs of economic recovery following the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report says global youth unemployment did not benefit from the economic recovery to the same extent as total unemployment and remained at 12.6 per cent in 2024.
It adds that youth unemployment continues to be significantly higher than the adult unemployment rate, and in some countries three to four times as high.
Experts argue that the persistence of the youth unemployment crisis is rooted in a variety of significant challenges.
In Kenya, FKE says the soft skills deficit is among the major factors denying most youths jobs.
Key issues
In its Skills Needs Survey report, the federation says poor communication, collaboration and time management skills, and low critical thinking capacity are among the key issues making most youths jobless.
According to the report, lack of creativity, problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills are other social impediments to youths' progress in the job market.
On its part, ILO says a primary issue is the distinct lack of productive opportunities in African countries especially, with many young people unable to access decent and formal employment.
The organisation adds that informality within the job market continues to undermine national employment and unemployment indicators.
On the other hand, the World Bank says most youths in Africa enter the labour market unprepared, making them more vulnerable to demographic and demand changes affecting the labour market.
"Few youths earn wages and many work in the informal sector. In rural areas, most young people are in unpaid family work, are underemployed, or both. In urban areas many young people are unemployed, some of them for long time periods," the lender says.
"Those who work are more likely than adults to be stuck in low-productivity jobs. The low-skilled are most vulnerable to weakening demand as young women have difficulty participating in the labour force. They become discouraged workers and engage in nonmarket activities."
Nevertheless, the Institute of Economic Affairs in Kenya argues that the persistent crisis could be a result of economies' elongated recovery from losses made from supply chain disruptions by the recent geopolitical wars.
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