Policy Discussion on Africa’s Youth Unemployment

Authored By:

V. Masubo

,

April 15, 2022

Youth unemployment is a growing global issue, but in Africa, it is a top political priority. The African continent contains the world’s youngest population, with approximately 60 percent of its population being under the age of 25, combined with the fastest demographic growth rate. An estimated 10 to 12 million new jobs need to be created annually to match the growing demand for jobs. This policy paper discusses the factors that can explain the high youth unemployment rate in Africa, both pre-pandemic and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth. The paper then offers four policy recommendations that can be utilised by national governments and wider stakeholders to help solve the youth unemployment problem. The policy recommendations tap into the current policy discourse of digitalisation, access to finance and migrant population dynamics as useful policy tools.

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