Israel De la Cruz ABPS A Comparative Analysis in Youth Unemployment of Jordan and Syria

Abstract

Arab youth suffer one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world within the age bracket of 15-24, Syria having an official unemployment rate with 12.3% as of 2011 according to CIA FactBook while Jordan with 34.4% as of January 2012 according to Jordanian Department of Statistics. Jordan does not have sufficient supplies of natural resources which increase the unemployment rates. The country installed many economic reforms to open free trade and exports in order to increase foreign investment and used privatization proceeds for the years 2006 through 2008 to reduce the countries debt to GDP ratio. Even with the high GDP growth there is still a high unemployment because foreigners are being employed for most of the new job openings. According to the studies done by the World Bank, Geography, Employability, and Expectations are the main reasons why there is a high unemployment rate in Jordan. High levels of unemployment continue to affect Syrian youth. Many factors contribute to high-youth unemployment including demographic factors such as high-population growth and urbanization, as well as economic and educational policies that have led to a lack of coordination between the education system and the labor market and lackluster economic growth, which has not created sufficient job growth and youth exclusion. A number of studies recognize the high rates of unemployment among Syrian youth, and consider unemployment inherently inefficient

and a detriment to economic growth, but as a social phenomenon, unemployment also takes its toll on Syrian youth psychologically. Studies find that the longer youth are unemployed, the more likely they are to report that they are not happy or optimistic, not appreciated by others, that their lives are empty of meaning, or that they were full of sorrow and worry. As youth unemployment unpredictably rises year after years, what could this neighboring country would become? What are the short-term and long-term solutions in preventing the growth of this problem?

Keywords: Jordan, Syria, Unemployment, Unemployment rate, Youth Exclusion, Education, Economy