Unemployment experience of youth in Addis Ababa

Ethiopia witnessed progressive achievement in education through the adoption of education for all initiatives. However, in the country youth in general urban youth in particular have experienced the highest rate of unemployment. Due to rise in education attainment among youth and the limited economic opportunities for skilled labor, unemployment is widespread among educated young people. This research paper focus on examining how young people experience unemployment challenge- what it means being unemployed and what mechanisms they adapt to sustain their livelihood and achieve their aspirations. In doing so the study highlights unemployed young people‟s perceptions of the employability and causes of unemployment. Concepts and theories of youth, human capital development, unemployment, relative deprivation theory and youth and transition model were used in analyzing youth unemployment experiences. The study was primarily based on qualitative data from interview and ethnographic observation. Secondary data drawn from secondary sources were also used to analyze the background of urban unemployment in Ethiopia. The study revealed that the way in which young people navigate school to work varied depending on different personal and socioeconomic factors. Youth experience unemployment differently based on their age, gender, marital status, and family background and education levels. Due to limited opportunities, relatively better educated youth has faced challenges of finding work in the formal sector and left with the option either employment in the informal sector or remain dependent on their family. Unemployed youth was not only experienced material deprivation but also affected by social exclusion, and emotional and psychological distresses.