CONSEQUENCES OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: THE CASE OF AMBOTOWN, OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

An abnormal state of youth unemployment is one of the basic improvement issues confronting Ethiopia. The lacking job circumstance of youth has various financial, political and moral outcomes Unemployed young people are more likely to abuse illicit substances than employed young people. Youth unemployment also contributes for the prevalence of crime and violence in societies where employment opportunities are limited.. Unemployment is a distressing life occasion that makes individuals despondent. Youth unemployment likewise encourages the improvement of young people. Unemployment has driven many young women and girls into sex work in Africa. Like other towns of the country, Ambo town also displays and witnesses the problem of unemployment. The after effects of youth unemployment in this area till now was not well understood. In this stand, this study was conducted to examine the outcomes of Youth Unemployment in the study area. A sample of 140 respondents from three kebeles namely Kebele 01, 02 and 03 with high unemployment rate, was selected. The structured interview schedule was prepared to collect information on the consequences of youth unemployment. The study was supplemented by subjective information gathered through Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and Direct Observations. The most important consequences of unemployment as perceived by the youth were migration from rural to urban and urban to urban or increase in migrants. The other important consequences as perceived by the respondents were as follows: Moral failure of youth, Exposed to physical and sexual abuse, Exposed to mental and psychological depression or hopelessness, Lack of emotional attachment to the family, Drug addiction or expose to local drinks and illegal gambling and Fighting with each other or with group of relatives may attack others. Therefore, the experiences of localized efforts of connecting trained youth with private employers should be expanded to include more diversified skills of youth. In some way, it can be altered to be a plat form for job search or labor supply market.