Youth unemployment drop keeps NDP target on course

MBABANE – Despite the increase in the overall unemployment rate, the decrease in as far as the youth is concerned provides a glimmer of hope in the country’s target set in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2023/24 – 2027/28.

This is because the statistics reflect that in terms of the youth, there has been a decrease from 58.2 per cent to 56 per cent.

One of the key sectoral outcome targets contained in the NDP is that government wants to reduce overall and youth unemployment to 20 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

The NDP, which is expected to run for a duration of five years, is formulated with attention on good governance underpinned by political will to implement policy reforms as the centrepiece of all development efforts.

The plan states that government has set a priority of introducing an increased employment stimulating investment.

The plan highlights that Eswatini continues to struggle with high unemployment levels and according to Labour Force Survey (LFS) for 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation by displacing a lot of people into joblessness and poverty.

UNEMPLOYMENT

The unemployment rate rose by 10 percentage points from 23 per cent in 2016/17 to 33.3 per cent in 2021, with youth unemployment hiking from 47 per cent to 58.2 per cent, and most prevalent in the country’s industrialised regions Manzini and Hhohho.

Eswatini has a youthful population at 72.9 per cent of the population. Unemployment has remained for the last 20 years at more than 20 per cent on average.

It affects mainly young people at 58.2 per cent unemployment rate especially college graduates and women.

In unpacking the challenge, the NDP highlights that the current state of affairs leads to the youth engaging in illicit activities, risky behaviour such as substance abuse, sexual activities among other social ills.

Lack of quality employment for youth is a major economic and social risk, and that is why concerted efforts need to be made in ensuring that the youth take centre stage in development planning programmes.

It is mentioned that youth-headed household; in and out of school doubling as head of families and care taking of older family members.

Youth orphanhood and vulnerability represents 33 per cent of the 0-17 years of age living with neither biological parent.

The rural urban divide, the NDP mentions, is also a challenge to the youth, with those from rural areas experiencing much worse predicament.