World's youth fear jobless future

THE world's young increasingly fear a future without jobs, according to a UN report released on Monday which highlighted how the 15-30 age group risks becoming the biggest victims of austerity programs.

The young doubt the education they receive will fully arm them for professional life, said the World Youth Report which questioned about 1,000 people for its study.

"Young people questioned the quality of education they and their peers receive, whether or not it is relevant to available jobs, how their knowledge and skills will serve them in the long-term," said the survey.

"During economic downturns, young people are often the 'last in' and the 'first out' out of jobs."

The 2008-2009 financial and economic crises forced the youth unemployment rate up to 11.9 in 2007 to 13 per cent in 2009. It eased back to 12.6 per cent in 2010.

The Middle East is worst hit with 25.5 per cent unemployment among young men and 39.4 per cent for young women in 2010, followed by North Africa with a 23.8 per cent rate for men and 34.1 for women.

The report said high unemployment was one of the key causes of the Arab Spring uprisings.

Young people said they found their educational too theoretical and not geared enough to professional life.

"Today it should be easier to find a job because our generation is the most educated but there is a inadequacy between the training offered and the needs of the labor market," said Amadou, a 24-year-old from Senegal.

AFP