Unemployment in Somalia

Somali development and humanitarian indicators are among the lowest in the world yet with a swelling population due to high fertility rates, estimated at 6.2 births per women between 2010 and 2015. Over 70 percent of the country’s population is under the age of thirty. Overall unemployment among people aged 15 to 64 is estimated at 54 percent in Somalia compared to 47 percent in 2002. The unemployment rate for youth aged 14 to 29 is 67 percent—one of the highest rates in the world; women lose out more, with unemployment rates at 74%, compared to men at 61%. 40% of youths are actively looking for work, while 21% are neither working nor in school.

Unemployment and poverty in Somalia have forced many young people to emigrate in search of a better life through perilous journeys across deserts and seas. Over 60% of youth have intentions to leave the country for better livelihood opportunities;

Major Causes of unemployment in Somalia

• Lack of viable education
• Clan and cultural prejudices. Young women are mostly forced to take on traditional occupations due to entrenched traditional gender roles.
• A small formal sector that cannot fully accommodate the country’s population.
• The country cannot attract foreign investments because of the security situation in the country.