About the product
This report examines both the developed and the developing world, and how the formal sector is unable to provide adequate employment opportunities for young people seeking gainful work. The inability of national and urban economies to create quality jobs is one of the root causes not just of economic and social exclusion, but of the growth of informal economies, too. When young people in urban areas do find jobs, these are often with family-owned, small, low-productivity businesses, and as well in domestic employment – all of which are characterised by low productivity, low incomes and little if any labour protection. This, in part, led to developments commonly referred to as the Arab Spring, which directed attention to the large youthful populations that dominate the demographic profiles of these countries, notably in urban centers. The events dramatically illustrated young people’s frequent inability to meet basic daily needs through sustainable livelihoods. They also brought to the fore their marginalization in the economic and political life of their communities and society at large.
