NAME: Drucellia Matthews

SCHOOL: Fair Prospect High

CENTRE #:

CANDIDATE #:

TERRITORY: Jamaica

YEAR SUBMITTED: 2021

TEACHER:

TITLE: What are the causes and effects of unemployment on the youths of Long Road?
 TABLE OF CONTENT

Page

Introduction i

Acknowledgement ii

Statement of Problem 1

Rationale 2

Method of Investigation 3

Procedures for Data collection 4

Data Collection Instruments 5-7

Presentation of Data 8-13

Interpretation and Analysis of data 14

Statement of Findings 15

Recommendation and Implementation 16

References 17
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The successful completion of this study would not have been possible without the assistance of a

number of persons who made it their point of duty to assist where it was needed.

First of all I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the residents of Long Road who took

the time out to answer the questionnaires that were issued to them. Secondly, thanks go out to

my father and sisters who assisted with the distribution of the questionnaires.

Finally I would like to thank the Almighty for granting wisdom, knowledge and understanding to

complete this survey.

Thank you all.

 INTRODUCTION

Long Road is a small rural district located in eastern Portland .In this community most of the

persons who are employed are self employed .They do mostly fishing and farming .The

researcher have observed that in the community there are only a hand full of skilled workers and

professionals ,while a large number of people are unemployed .

There are various reasons for unemployment in Long Road. The researcher also observed that

unemployment often leads to negative actions which affect the individuals and the community

such as an increase in crime, violence, gambling and praedial larceny.

Another thing that the researcher have noticed is that most of the unemployed are youths and

the researcher is really concerned about this because the researcher is a youth as well and fear

that this may happen to the researcher .

Therefore the researcher decided to conduct the research on unemployment in Long Road to see

if some of the causes and effects of unemployment can be identified and get possible suggestions

for solutions to this problem.

 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

What are the causes and effects of unemployment on the youths in the community of Long
Road?

AIMS OF STUDY

1. To find out some of the effects of unemployment in my community.

2. To find out what causes unemployment in my community.

3. To find out what can be done to reduce unemployment.

 RATIONALLE

There has been a high level of unemployment in the community of Long Road in recent years.
This is particularly so among the younger population. I am concerned about the situation and
would like to know what can be done to ease this situation.

It is with this in mind that I decided to use the opportunity with this SBA to find ways in which it
can be helped or solved.
 METHOD OF INVESTIGATION

The researcher decided to use a questionnaire, as a means to collect the information needed because of the

advantages it offers;

 It takes little or no time to be completed.

 It guarantees total confidentiality of the respondents.

 It makes processing the information gathered easy for questions can be grouped.

Seeing that the subject matter may be sensitive, it is important that confidentiality is assured.

Questionnaires, as said above, take little time to fill out so it is convenient to the participant.

The questionnaire consists of fifteen (15) questions and a total of twenty five (25) questionnaires were

handed out.
 PROCEDURES USED TO COLLECT DATA

The researcher prepared a total of twenty (20) questionnaires to be distributed to unemployed

individuals of the community of Long Road. This community consists of approximately one

thousand four hundred residents .This number of questionnaire was chosen because it is believed

that using this sample group could provide the necessary information as well as much accuracy.

The questionnaires were handed to individuals between the ages 18-35 of both genders who are

unemployed. However the sample group was selectively chosen so as to accumulate or to get

needed information.

The questionnaires were handed out on the 5th of October 2020 to the sample group and were

collected by the 31st of October 2020.

 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS

Letter to participants

Long Road District

Muirton Pen P.A.

Portland

Dear Participant,

I am an 11 grade student of the Fair Prospect High School doing my Social Studies School Based

Assessment (SBA) for CSEC. The information collected will only be used for school purposes and total

confidentiality is guaranteed as no identity is needed.

Please answer the attached questionnaire as best as possible to help me be successful in my studies.

Thank you for your cooperation.

……………………………….

D. Matthews
 COPY OF QUESTIONNAIRE
Place a tick in the box of the response that best applies to you

1. GENDER

Male [ ] Female [ ]

2. How old are you?

A. 18-25[ ] B. 26-30[ ] C. 31-35 [ ]

3. Have you ever been employed?

A. Yes [ ] B. No [ ]

4. How long have you been unemployed?

A. Few months [ ] B. 1-3 years [ ] C. Over 3 years [ ]

5. What causes you to be unemployed?

A. Unskilled [ ] B. Unavailability of jobs [ ] C. Unqualified [ ]

6. What level of education did you complete?

A. Primary [ ] B. Secondary [ ] C. Tertiary [ ]

7. What qualifications have you received?

A. CXC [ ] B. Diploma [ ] C. Degree [ ] D. none

8. How are your financial needs met?

A. Family [ ] B. Friends [ ] C. Spouse [ ] D. Government Aide [ ]

9. Do you have children?

A. Yes [ ] B. No [ ]

10. If yes, how do you support them?

A. Family help [ ] B. Government Aide [ ] C. Parent [ ]

11. How does unemployment affect you?

A. Unable to support children’s financial problem [ ]

B. Stress which results in aggressive behavior [ ]

C. Emotional problems [ ]
12. What are some of the activities which unemployed persons engage in?

A. Getting involved in illicit behavior such as gambling, stealing and prostitution [ ]

B. Formation of gangs [ ]

C. Abusing of drugs [ ]

13. What are some of the effects of unemployment?

A. Rise in crime and violence [ ]

B. Mental illness [ ]

C. Formation of street gangs [ ]

14. Are you looking for a job?

A. Yes [ ] C. No [ ]

15. What can you do to become employed?

A. Acquire a skill or further qualification [ ]

B. Get assistance to Start personal business [ ]

C. Seek employment outside community [ ]

16. What can the government do to reduce unemployment in your

community?

A. Set up Skills training institute

B. Have Centre for further education

C. Improve or set up factories in area.

 PRESENTATION OF DATA

A total of twenty (20) questionnaires were handed to residents of this amount sixty percent were
male and forty percent (40%) female.

Figure 1.

Causes of Unemployment

15%
Key

unskilled
15%
no vacancy
unavailiability of
jobs

70%

The pie chart above shows the age range to which respondents belong.

50% falls between 18 and 25 years

30% between 26 and 30 years

And the remaining 20% falls between 31 and 25 years.

Figure 2

60%

50%
percentage of respondents

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
few months 1-3 yrs 3 yrs and over

Responses

The bar graph in figure shows the response to the question how long have you been unemployed. 20 % of

the respondents have been unemployed for a few years, 50 % between 1 and 3 years and the remaining

30% for 3 years and over.

Figure 3

Causes of Unemployment

15%
Key
15%
unskilled
no vacancy
unavailiability of jobs

70%

The pie chart above indicates the responses to the question, what caused you to be unemployed?

70% say they are unskilled

15% say there is no vacancy

While the remaining 15% say jobs are not available in the areas they would work in.
Figure 4

EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

30%
Percentage Of Respondents

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
Crime & Violence
Formation of Gangs
Pregnancy
Drug Abuse

Responses

The figure above shows what happens as a result of unemployment.

30% responded that there is an increase in crime and violence

25% said there has been the formation of gangs

Another 25% said there has been an increase in teenage pregnancy

While the remaining 20% says the abuse of drugs has also results.
Figure 5

What can you do to get a job?

30%

Get skill or qualification

50% Seek job outside of area
get assistance to start business

20%

The figure above shows how what persons who are unemployed can do to secure a job.

50% indicated that they need to get a skill or qualification, 30% wanted assistance to start

personal business and 20% said they would have to move out of the community to get a job
Figure 6

QUALIFICATION STATUS OF UNEMPLOYED

Qualification level Number of persons

CXC 20%

Diploma 10%

Degree 5%

None 65%

The table above shows the level of qualification of the respondents.

The table shows that that 65% of the participants do not have any qualification, 20% have CXC
subjects, 10% have a college diploma and only 5% have a degree
 INTERPRETATION & ANALYSIS OF DATA

Unemployment is a social issue which affects both genders however it can be said that based on

the information collected that majority of the respondents are males (60%) because they are high

school drop outs.

Majority (50%) of the respondents has been unemployed for one to three years and falls between

18-25 years of age (50%) as seen in figs 1 & 2 . A stunning majority of 60% of the respondents

have been unemployed because they are unskilled however a minority of 15% attribute their state

to the unavailability of vacancies in the areas they are able to work or because they are

unqualified. (fig. 3)

Most of these respondents have children of whom they should take care. This resulted in most

(75%) of the respondents depending on family member to help meet their financial needs with a

minority depending on government aide (15%). Most (65%) of the respondents responded that

they experienced stress aggressive behaviour. However there are those who said that the high

unemployment rate in the community has resulted in crime and violence (50%) because

unemployed persons usually get involved in illicit activities (65%) to divert their energy to. A

minority of 25% gets involved in drug abuse as highlighted in fig. 4.

The data in fig. 5 shows that training or assistance is needed to get more persons marketable or

provide their own employment. Fig 6 supports this as an alarming 65% of the unemployed

persons in the area lack skills or qualification needed to obtain a job.

 FINDINGS

After this research was completed the researcher came up with the following findings.

From the research the researcher came the realization that unemployment being a social problem

in its self has contributed to the emerging of other social problem in the community.

The following are some findings:

1. Unemployment contributes to crime and violence among the youths due to the fact that

individuals are not occupied they find other activities to divert their energy. Thus the formation

of gangs increases in other case of teenage pregnancy and the prevalence of drug abuse and

gambling.

2. The reason for the high level of unemployment among youths in the community is as a result

of lack of jobs as well as them not being qualified to get a job.

3. There is a great desire for infrastructure to create work to be put in place aa well as facilities to

upgrade skills and qualification for unemployed persons to become marketable.

 RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION

In order for unemployment to be eliminated the following recommendations would be made:

1. The government could put more evening institutions in place to facilitate persons who

leave high school and are not qualified.

2. The government should provide skill training centre in the community so the people that

are unemployed can attend to get a skill.

3. Government and private investors should look at setting up small industries to tap into the

agriculture or tourism market in the area for the job market in the rural areas.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

In order to solve unemployment a letter signed by more than a hundred unemployed residents

could be written to the member of parliament asking him to lobby with the HEART TRUST

NTA to set up a training agency in the community .When this is done more youths who have left

high school and are without the necessary qualifications to be employed at any level will be

taught a skill.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mervyn C. Sandy and Stephenson C. Grayson, 2000, CXC Social Studies Essentials with SBA,

Study Guide and Exercises, Jamaica, Carlong Publishers (Caribbean) Ltd.

Rampersad Ramsawak and Ralph R. Umraw, 2005, Modules in Social Studies with S.B.A.

Guide and C.X.C. Questions Fourth Edition, Trinidad, Caribbean Educational Publishers.
CANDIDATE NAME: ADENA HALL

CANDIDATE NUMBER:

CENTER NUMBER:

TEACHERS NAME: MR. ELLIS

SUBJECT: SOCIAL STUDIES

SCHOOL:

TERRITORY: JAMAICA

TOPIC: UNEMPLOYMENT

YEAR OF SUBMISSION: 2015