Unemployment Still On The Rise

My daughter will be graduating in a few months’ time with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. What are the chances she will land a job is anyone’s guess. No doubt, she does not have to worry about a roof over her head and the food on her table since she would still be living with me, the nagging anxiety over the increasing unemployment cannot be dismissed.

More and more youngsters are graduating with a degree each year but the global economic crisis has yet to stabilize. According to the International Labor Organization, the number of unemployed youths inadvertently rose globally to 12.6% in 2010 which marked 2.6 times higher than the adult unemployment rate. Their report had evidenced a slight decline in the global youth unemployment rate in the first 3 months of 2011. However, it is far too soon to even jump with joy when the rate is still hovering around 12%.

Here in my country, I am hoping for the top gun policymakers to address this rising issue. Our universities may be producing a lot of university degree holders but could the persisting unemployment rate in our country be due to the universities generating courses not in tandem with the prevailing industry needs? Are our universities producing graduates for non-existent jobs?

If this issue is not address quickly, our local workforce would be inundated with impressionable and vibrant youths with no outlets to channel their energies and ideas. It won’t be long before the country is gripped with social problems.