Help : Can't Find A Job

It is fair enough to say that a lot of students in America don't enjoy going to school because of tests and stress (Almeda). However, they are privileged enough to be provided with an education and to be surrounded by numerous job opportunities. This is a different case for the world’s youngest continent, Africa, where kids are not provided with a good education and struggle to find jobs. Unemployment has been a general problem for all of Africa, but for South Africa, the region’s most developed country, it is a bit more troublesome (Afful). Despite the fact that South Africa’s economy performed well over the past years, unemployment rates have relentlessly climbed to 27.1% in 2016, the highest over the last decade (Taborda). In fact, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world (Unemployment Statistics). Poverty and crime rate are interlinked with the issue of unemployment, plaguing South Africa, negatively impacting people socially and economically.

The issue of unemployment seems to be a chronic one, affecting the youth population the most. About 48% of South Africans between ages fifteen and thirty four were unemployed last year (De Lannoy). As a result to little improvement in unemployment, the number of unemployed youth is predicted to increase. Furthermore, reports show that job opportunities for young graduates are at record low (Chutel). The biggest factors to this issue is the mismatch of the skills taught in schools and what is required in the market. In addition, employers have “raised the bar for entry into low level jobs” due to their wariness of the education system (De Lannoy). By doing this, the employers are missing out on potentially good youth workers.

Unemployment not only affects those unemployed but also the whole economy. Though many people who are unemployed lack education and training, their skills are not properly utilized in the market (Malakwane). This is a loss for the whole economy as employers are shutting out capable young employees. As a matter of fact, a government published research paper discovered that a large portion of the people unemployed are women (Zuma). In 2014, 27.6% of the female labor force was unemployed and since then, those numbers have increased (Unemployment Female). The economy is not making good use of the skills offered by women and other unemployed people. Therefore, experts state that by improving the quality of work available and also offering equal job opportunities to both genders, South Africa can help their unemployment figures and boost the economy (Malakwane).

It is unquestionable that unemployment is a challenge that needs to be overcome quickly, but it is easier said than done. The Guardian once wrote, “Fixing Africa’s failing education systems should be seen as a top economic policy priority” (Afful). Many organizations can agree that reforming education systems will boost chances of graduates finding jobs. Another way to get people out of the unemployment situation is the “creation of employment” while also increasing economic activity (Malakwane). Those who have given up searching for work, broadly defined as unemployed, will have more chances to find a suitable job.

Alex Tabarrok, Canadian-American economist once said, “Education is the key to the future: You've heard it a million times, and it's not wrong. Educated people have higher wages and lower unemployment rates, and better-educated countries grow faster and innovate more than other countries.” Ultimately, experts say that the most sustainable solution to this issue is to offer a better quality education to the people of South Africa, teaching them skills that are required in today’s business world (Yu). Regardless of how South Africa plans to deal with this issue, it should be recognized that unemployment still remains a big issue there.

Works Cited:

Afful, Benson. "Unemployment in Africa: No Jobs for 50% of Graduates." ACET. The Business and Financial Times Online, 23 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.

Almeda, Sarah. "Why Do Teens Hate School?" Connect Learning Today. N.p., 13 Jan. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Chutel, Lynsey. "Record Unemployment Affects These South Africans the Most." Quartz. Quartz, 23 Nov. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.

De Lannoy, Ariane, and Lauren Graham."What South Africa Can Do About Youth Unemployment in the Short Run [analysis]." Africa News Service 11 Feb. 2017. Global Issues in Context. Web. 7 Mar. 2017.

Malakwane, Cliford Tshepang, and Dr. O O Osha. Economic and Social Effects of Unemployment in South Africa (2012): 99. Tshwane University of Technology, June 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

Taborda, Joana. "South Africa Unemployment Rate." South Africa Unemployment Rate | 2000-2017 | Data | Chart | Calendar. Trading Economics, 14 Feb. 2017. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.

"Unemployment, Female (% of Female Labor Force) (modeled ILO Estimate)." The World Bank. ILO, 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

"Unemployment Statistics in S. Africa Explained." Africa Check. Africa Check, 2014. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

Yu, Derek, Atoko Kasongo, and Mariana Moses. "How Two Crucial Trends Are Affecting Unemployment in South Africa." The Conversation. N.p., 10 Apr. 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.

Zuma, Jacob G., and Susan Shabangu. "Status of Women In South African Economy." Africa Today 13.1, A Special Report on American Involvement in the South African Economy (1966): 2-40. Republic of South Africa, Aug. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.