By Adriana Caceres

Youth unemployment is a global source of concern that grows every year, breaking historical records. According to a report developed by the International Labour Organization on 2017, the global average unemployment rate among youth is around 13.1%; while in our region it was close to 18.3%.

When looking for their first job, young people come up with several obstacles. Except the obstacles linked to the education level or gender, most of those who enter the working population face a slow absorption by the demand. Thus, there is a surplus of youth workforce who cannot get a job or, if they do, they get informal, undeclared jobs, and therefore have no access to social rights. Considering this situation, and faced with an economic crisis, they are the first to be dismissed.

Nowadays, data shows that the economy in Argentina is growing. The real wage is improving and decent work is being created every month. The national administration is granting benefits to SMEs, which represent 99% of the Argentinian companies, and generate 70% of formal employment, through financial aid, eliminating taxes and making bureaucratic procedures simpler.

Nevertheless, 60% of the Argentinian unemployed population is under 30 years old. In addition, the automation is moving forward, taking jobs that tend to be filled by young people. This process of economic transformation had a negative impact in Spain, where the unemployment rate among people aged 18 to 30 years old was of 40% (ILO, 2017).

One of the challenges the State faces is not only creating jobs, but generating decent work; it must also promote and strengthen projects developed by young entrepreneurs, who have innovative and new ideas, many of which have a real and positive impact on society.

It is important to build bridges between young people and companies. Training initiatives based on local demand have been created, which seek to develop the specific skills that companies need. A job placement plan has been created so that those included in social programs may get a job while being paid allowances for another two years. In addition, the plan has incentives so that companies may include these people into their payroll.

There are no magic recipes to revert the discouraging labor situation of young people. The important thing is to detect problems, think about the solutions and work hard to move forward with clear solutions and proposals. The commitment is to work to transform young people’s present and enable them to become the leading actors of the future.

Source: El Cronista