Addressing the Urban Youth Employment Challenge in Ethiopia

Urban youth employment is a fundamental challenge that will shape Ethiopia’s present and future development. In the coming two decades, the urban population is expected to triple from the current 19 per cent. This enormously young urban population requires an enabling and inclusive socioeconomic and political system to become a catalyst for structural transformation. The first crucial step is to design adaptive policy strategies that correspond to the dynamics of high rates of urbanisation. Second, it is imperative to harmonise government intervention with a long-term development plan. Third, it is also vital that unemployed urban youth who are job searching receive systematic support.