This report reflects on the damage done to young people in the Middle East by the turbulent economy, and what measures can be and are being taken by governments and international organizations to protect them.
This report shows the education and employment situation of young people in Latin America. It includes a description of the most important indicators, an analysis on the causes and consequences, and challenges youth access to productive and decent work poses to governments and other stakeholders in the region. Lastly, it discusses possible courses of action.
Studies based on firm-level data find that both exporting firms and multinational corporations pay higher wages for a given skill level. The author of this study, however, uses the case of Mexico to support his thesis that the existence of export manufacturing firms in the developing world deleteriously affects the educational choices of local youth. The author finds that these relatively high-paying jobs disincentivize youth from pursuing further education and graduating to higher skill levels that would ultimately be more lucrative.
Asian Development Bank (ADB), & International Labor Organization (ILO)
This joint ADB and ILO publication offers evidence-based policy recommendations on strategies to advance gender equality by addressing persistent gender-labour market gaps that hinder strong, balanced and sustainable development in the Asia region. It looks at not only social-cultural norms of countries but also the policy and institutional frameworks that shape employment opportunities.
The Iraqi Youth Initiative is a new private sector initiative designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development to create employment opportunities for young Iraqis was initiated this week by the USAID-Tijara Provincial Economic Growth Program. The project hopes to expose young Iraqis living in underserved or impoverished areas to essential business skills and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Youth in at-conflict countries have often been involved both as victims and perpetrators of violence, responding to war and its effects in different ways. Not all individuals directly affected by conflict will develop long-term stress-related symptoms. However, those who do may be greatly and possibly even permanently affected, which limits the ability to find and keep a job. In turn, productive employment may contribute to the recovery of affected individuals and reduce the likelihood of their being drawn into future violence, thereby contributing to stability and peace building.
This policy outlook considers the implications of the Palestinian Labor Law on unemployment duration for young Palestinians in the labor market, and suggests alternative choices for policymakers in the Palestinian Territories seeking to shorten youth unemployment duration. In this regard, easing school-to-work transitions for Palestinian youth may require reforms that both loosen labor market restrictions while simultaneously providing workers with alternative forms of social protection.
The goal of this paper is to help employers who reduced their workforce size during the recession and are now affected by the current global talent shortage. It presents the results of Manpower Group’s 2011 Annual Talent Shortage Survey of nearly 40,000 employers across 39 countries and territories and looking at a long-term workforce strategy that distinguishes “just in time hiring” and “on-demand” talent.
This article is part of the Financial Times special report “Investing in Young People 2012.” It highlights the growing joblessness rates in youth around the world.
