Authors: Ahmad Nawid Noori
Abstract: This paper examines the socio-economic implications of youth unemployment in Afghanistan as well as its causes. Youth are very important stakeholders in any society. They are not only the future of Afghanistan, but also major stakeholders and a useful resource in nation building. However, available data show that youth unemployment is very prevalent in Afghanistan with far-reaching implications for the stability of the economy. Unemployment has a negative multiplier effect not only on the individuals involved but on the society as a whole. This paper identifies the main causes of youth unemployment in Afghanistan, which are: adoption of untimely economic policy measures, wrong impressions about technical and vocational studies, the neglect of the agricultural sector, poor educational planning, and a poor enabling environment, anchoring the explanation of the causes of this youth unemployment on neo-liberalism that created economic and social dislocations. The paper argues that many anti-social activities such as political thuggery, militancy, restiveness, and other social vices evident among the unemployed and jobless youth are real dangers to the stability of the country. Youth unemployment has been identified as one of the core causes of the rising level of social disorder and insecurity permeating the entire country of Afghanistan. The paper concludes that addressing the problem of youth unemployment must involve all stakeholders. Suggested from the analysis, therefore, are that effective policy measures such as re-prioritization of the agricultural sector, reformation of the educational system, and provision of an enabling environment that will drastically reduce unemployment and poverty should be adopted to eradicate the menace of youth unemployment.
DOI: http://doi.org/
