Metropolitan Model United Nations Conference XLII International Labour Organization

Youth Unemployoment Crisis

The headline in a recent International Labor Organization (ILO) report is stark and dramatic "Invest in Youth or Lose A Generation." Nearl! "# million !o$ng people ages %&'() aro$nd the *orld are $nemplo!ed+ ,lmost " million more ha-e gi-en $p on e-er finding a .ob+ /o$ng people are three times more likel! to be $nemplo!ed than ad$lts+ More than (00 million !o$th *ho ha-e .obs earn less than t*o dollars a da!1 less than 2&00 a !ear+ % 3e are no* in danger of facing a 4scarred5 generation of !o$ng *orkers *ith a dangero$s mi6 of high $nemplo!ment1 increased inacti-it!1 and dangero$s1 $nderpaid *ork+ If these !o$th do not find emplo!ment1 the conse7$ences *ill be dire 8 from increased -iolence in the Middle 9ast to e-er'higher rates of income ine7$alit! in the United :tates to increased political $nrest in 9$rope+ No region of the *orld is imm$ne to the !o$th emplo!ment crisis1 as a brief re-ie* of the sit$ation makes clear+ The decline of the 9$rozone1 combined *ith harsh a$sterit! policies in co$ntries *here go-ernments c$t social ser-ices1 has made it increasingl! diffic$lt for !o$ng people to find .obs in 9$rope+ The !o$th $nemplo!ment rate hit ;#< in =reece earlier this !ear1 and :pain>s !o$th $nemplo!ment has climbed to #"+)<+ Ital!>s rate is )%+(<1 and ?ort$gal>s is @;+#<+ These fig$res contin$e to rise+ /o$th in Northern 9$rope are faring better1 *ith .$st "+&< of !o$th $nemplo!ed in =erman!1 and %%+;< in the Netherlands+ 9$ropeAs problems spill o-er into the Middle 9ast beca$se the region relies on 9$rope for trade1 to$rism and other ind$stries+ /o$th $nemplo!ment reached @B percent in 9g!pt last !ear1 *hen the co$ntr! *as still grappling *ith the fallo$t from the ,rab :pring and .$st before a ne* bo$t of -iolent1 political strife+ 9-en the oil'rich

co$ntries of the Middle 9ast face a crisis in emplo!ment+ The International Monetar! C$nd (IMC) met *ith :a$di ,rabiaAs Cinance Minister and other top'le-el :a$di officials in Di!adh on Eecember @1 (%0@ to re-ie* a report b! the Co$ncil of :a$di Chambers1 a pro' b$siness organization+ The IMC estimates that %+; million !o$ng citizens *ill enter the *orkforce in the ne6t fi-e !ears in the co$ntries that ring the ?ersian =$lf F :a$di ,rabia1 Gahrain1 Oman1 H$*ait1 Iatar1 and the United ,rab 9mirates+ /et the Co$ncil pro.ects that pri-ate enterprise in these co$ntries *ill create onl! abo$t ;001000 .obs b! (0%&+ Th$s1 a million !o$th co$ld find themsel-es *itho$t *ork+ 3hile abo$t " million .obs *ere created across =$lf co$ntries bet*een (000 and (0%01 the IMC reports that &&< of them *ere filled b! foreign *orkers *ho *ill *ork for less mone! than nationals *ill or *ho ha-e skills and ed$cation that better match these .obs+ :a$di ,rabiaAs citizens might take these .obs1 b$t not for the same rate of pa! that ?akistanis1 Indians1 9g!ptian1 and Cilipino migrant *orkers accept+ 9-en *ell'ed$cated :a$dis1 some grad$ating *ith ad-anced degrees from ,merican $ni-ersities1 cannot find .obs that *ill enable them to li-e comfortable li-es+ The need for .obs is o$tpacing a-ailable *ork thro$gho$t oil'rich =$lf ,rab co$ntries1 meaning that *hile the regionAs kings and r$ling sheiks ha-e so far ridden o$t the ,rab :pring1 demographics and time ma! not be on their side for -er! long+ ( On the s$rface1 $nemplo!ment rates look better in :$b':aharan ,frica (::,) than in some 9$ropean co$ntries+ The a-erage !o$th $nemplo!ment is ((+&< in the region+ Dates range from a lo* of (+(< in Madagascar to a high of )(< in Tanzania+ /et1 in realit! t*o'thirds of ::,>s !o$th are either $nemplo!ed or $nderemplo!ed+ , 3orld Gank st$d! on emplo!ment in ::, concl$ded that Jthe a-erage !o$th labor $nder$tilization rate in the region F *hich adds the share of !o$th in irreg$lar emplo!ment1 $nemplo!ment and inacti-e non'st$dents F reached ;"+% per cent in (0%('%@+J @ Ten million !o$ng people enter the labor market each !ear in the co$ntries of :,,+ Ne* .obs m$st be 7$alit! .obs that enable !o$ng *orkers to become financiall! independent and s$pport their families+ /et in ::,1 onl! (#< of !o$th *ork in a standard emplo!ment relationship g$ided b! a *ritten

contract+ This informalit! lea-es !o$ng *orkers -$lnerable to the *hims of their emplo!ers+ ?rof Kohn -an Deenan1 director of the Centre for 9conomic ?erformance at the London :chool of 9conomics1 *orries that !o$th $nemplo!ment co$ld affect the *hole econom! of Gritain+ J3hat happens is that !o$ng people *ho sta! $nemplo!ed for a long period of time F it scars them+ + +The!Are going to ha-e lo* *ages and a histor! of not being able to get a .ob and that1 o-er the long r$n1 serio$sl! red$ces gro*th as *ell as h$rting their o*n prospects and those of their families+J) This statement describes the sit$ation not .$st in the United Hingdom1 b$t thro$gho$t the *orld+ There are man! ca$ses for these high rates of !o$th $nemplo!ment+ Cirst1 the global economic do*nt$rn that began in (00& pla!s a role+ The economic crisis led to .ob losses for all ages of *orkers+ /o$th ho*e-er1 are most h$rt b! the practice of 4last in F first o$t+5 :ince the! *ere hired most recentl! and ha-e the least e6perience1 the! are the first ones to lose their .obs+ :econd1 man! !o$ng people lack a basic ed$cation that prepares them for *ork+ There is often a mismatch bet*een ed$cation and the act$al skills re7$ired+ The ed$cational s!stems of man! co$ntries are o-er' b$rdened1 inade7$ate1 and $nder'f$nded+ Third1 in most de-eloping co$ntries1 a large proportion of the pop$lation is !o$ng1 creating a democratic b$lge+ 9conomic reco-er! and gro*th has mo-ed at a slo* pace+ ?racticall! no nation is creating eno$gh .obs to pro-ide opport$nities for this constantl! e6panding s$ppl! of !o$ng .ob seekers+ It is this committee>s task to e6amine the ca$ses of !o$th $nemplo!ment and de-elop concrete proposals for alle-iating the problem+ Co$ntries m$st *ork together1 !et sol$tions m$st be tailored to meet the needs of partic$lar regions and co$ntries+ One sol$tion to $nemplo!ment in :$b':aharan ,frica is to e6pand agric$lt$re1 for both foods and crops s$ch as cotton+ =hana1 for e6ample1 has la$nched a program called 4/o$th in ,gric$lt$re+5 # Ce* !o$th see agric$lt$re as a .ob opport$nit! beca$se of the risk! nat$re of farming1 high costs1 and its labor'intensi-e nat$re+ ,c7$iring land is prohibiti-el! e6pensi-e for most !o$ng peopleL farming also re7$ires a large financial in-estment

in seeds1 fertilizers1 and e7$ipment+ The go-ernment of =hana is seeking to partner *ith the pri-ate sector to make capital and credit more accessible for !o$ng people *ho *ant to enter agric$lt$re+ :mall farmers need help *ith sa-ings and credit associations1 comm$nit!'based financial instit$tions1 r$ral and comm$nit! banks1 and cooperati-es+ /o$ng people need help negotiating leases of land from the chiefs *ho control m$ch of r$ral ,frica+ /o$ng farmers can also benefit from ed$cation abo$t ne* and more efficient *a!s of farming+ The ILO>s program on !o$th emplo!ment operates thro$gh a global net*ork of technical teams at its head7$arters in =ene-a and in more than ;0 offices aro$nd the *orld+ It pro-ides assistance to co$ntries in de-eloping coherent and coordinated inter-entions on !o$th emplo!ment+ :ome iss$es that the program is *orking on incl$de ;
M

Eata collection on the nat$re and dimensions emplo!ment1 $nemplo!ment and $nder emplo!mentL

of

!o$th

,nal!sis of the effecti-eness of co$ntr! policies and programs on !o$th emplo!mentL ?olic! ad-ice to strengthen in'co$ntr! labor market policies and programs for !o$th emplo!ment and capacit! b$ilding for go-ernments and emplo!ers> and *orkers> organizationsL Technical assistance in form$lating and implementing national !o$th emplo!ment programs that foc$s on emplo!ment' intensi-e in-estment1 skills de-elopment1 !o$th entreprene$rship1 access to finance and other targeted acti-e labor market meas$resL ,d-ocac! and a*areness'raising acti-ities to promote decent *ork for !o$th *ith a foc$s on emplo!abilit!1 emplo!ment and *orkers> rights

Questions to Consider: %+ Eoes !o$r co$ntr! ha-e a !o$th $nemplo!ment crisisN 3hat is the rate of $nemplo!ment in !o$r nationN

(+ 3hat has !o$r co$ntr! done to help !o$ng people find .obsN Can this be implemented in other nationsN @+ Oo* can the global comm$nit! *ork together $nder the ILO to help resol-e this iss$eN )+ 3hat are some *a!s to pre-ent f$t$re emplo!ment crises s$ch as this oneN

Notes: %+ http PP***+ilo+orgPglobalPtopicsP!o$th'emplo!mentPlang'' enPinde6+htm (+ http PP***+ilo+orgPaddisababaPmedia' centrePne*sP3CM:Q(@%)"0Plang''enPinde6+htm @+ http PP***+fo6ne*s+comP*orldP(0%@P%(P0@Psa$di'arabia'needs' pri-ate'sector'gro*th'to'stem'!o$th'$nemplo!ment'b$sinessP )+ http PP***+bbc+co+$kPne*sbeatP()"(;"B( #+ http PPallafrica+comPstoriesP(0%@%(0(%";)+htmlN-ie*allR%O?INION ;+ http PP***+ilo+orgPemplo!mentPareasP!o$th'emplo!mentPlang'' enPinde6+htm

Sources: http PP***+ilo+orgPskillsPabo$tP3CM:Q%B(&&BPlang''enPinde6+htm) http PP***+ilo+orgP*ashingtonP3CM:Q%&#B#0Plang''enPinde6+htm http PP***+theg$ardian+comPb$sinessP(0%@Pno-P(BPe$rozone'!o$th' $nemplo!ment'record'high'$nder'(#s

http PP***+*efor$m+orgPcomm$nit!Pglobal'agenda'co$ncilsP!o$th' $nemplo!ment'-is$alization'(0%@<(0