Akilile Sitotaw, is unemployed youth. He recently told The Ethiopian Herald that after graduation, the enthusiasm quickly fades away when the graduate faces the striking reality of unemployment. “Many young people find themselves in a vicious circle of poverty, which leaves little room for optimism and hope. Not surprisingly, substance abuse and suicidal intentions will become more prevalent,” he said.
Substance abuse is an ever-growing issue in Ethiopia, as thousands of young unemployed people seek emotional relief and refuge in a cruel world of unemployment and poverty. Young unemployed people with all kind of pressures have an increased risk of being addicted to alcohol and drug abuse. According to various reports, unemployment is a huge challenge facing the Ethiopian government.
Ethiopia can be one of the fastest developing countries in Africa, but without an organized policy for employment and job creation, the relevance of even the best economic achievements will quickly and irreversibly wither. When government officials forget about their mission to serve the needs of the public, unemployment quickly becomes a major driver of political instability.
This is what happened in Ethiopia when thousands of young unemployed people went to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the country’s economic, social, and political policies. The anti-government protests that swept through parts of Ethiopia in late 2015 through the better part of 2016 were (partly) as a result of youth unemployment. As a result, youth unemployment remains a major source of political instability in Ethiopia.
Young people without jobs have nothing else to do but to spend their time in the street, hoping that the government will take measures to improve the economic situation and foster the expansion of the labor market. This seems to be the worst scenario for Ethiopia, a country that has just entered a new stage of political and historical development, with the new Prime Minister Abiy bringing hope and enthusiasm about future changes.
At different times, unemployment rates in Ethiopia ranged between 16 and 26 percent. Its causes vary, but its impacts are tangible and profound. Unemployment, particularly among the young college-educated people, presents a barrier to economic development and growth while pushing healthy adult professionals to the margins of physical and financial survival.
Planning and Development Commission (PDC), announced that even though the Ethiopian economy has shown recovery and sustains the growth, the unemployment level remains a challenge. Dr. Fitsum Asefa, Commissioner at PDC recently told the media that various studies show that unemployment is increasing in Ethiopia from time to time especially in an urban area. One of the major reasons is the increase in the number of graduates from government and private colleges and universities each year.
Hence, it is a must that the government balances the number of job seekers and job opportunity available. In addition, attitudinal chance among the youth has to come about so that they would be inspired to create jobs for themselves. The slow progress of structural transformation is also another problem, she added.
Having a population of more than 110 million people who live mostly in poverty, Dr. Meseret Meskele, Deputy Commissioner in the Economic Sector at PDC said unemployment is increasing and it requires the special intervention of stakeholders. “Apart from the potential youth who can create jobs for themselves and others, we have to be able to utilize skilled or productive human resource to tap the country’s resources for productive use and to improve the lives of citizens,” Meseret said.
She stated that there are some youths who are creating their own jobs and changing lives. But to increase the number of entrepreneurs awareness creation is important. Extensive activities have to be undertaken to bring about attitudinal change starting from the grassroots level. Generally, the situation necessitates the provision of adequate measures that could expand employment opportunities for the youth.
These measures must be multidimensional. It is not enough to launch new projects that would provide temporary employment to educated young people. And experts advise that the government should provide new employment incentives for urban youth who may want to go and work in rural territories. New laws and policies should be developed to create opportunities for youth entrepreneurship.
For instance, tax breaks and subsidies could provide an impetus for expanding the market for young entrepreneurs. Without these measures, the formidable prospects of continued unemployment will keep looking ahead, creating major impediments to sociopolitical and economic stability in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Herald, May 9/2019
BY ESSEYE MENGISTE
