SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON YOUTH IN DERA WOREDA, SOUTH GONDAR ZONE, AMHARA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Socio-economic and psychological consequence of youth unemployment calls for examination to understand the gravity of the issue. The prevailing knowledge for this work discloses that youth unemployment is one of the several socio-economic and psychological problems existing virtually in all countries of the world. Cognizant to such global and national problems this study attempts to investigate the socio-economic and psychological consequences of youth unemployment in the towns of Dera Woreda.To address its objectives, the study examined the socioeconomic consequences ofyouth unemployment, psychological consequences of youth un employment, opinions of unemployed youth towards job,community reflections on youth unem ployment and government efforts to reduce youth unemployment. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Representative sample of unemployed youth for survey were drawn from the towns of the Woreda by using simple random sampling method. Accordingly, from atotal of1394 unemployed youth in the town of Dera Woreda in2017,311 un employed youthwere selected togather quantitative data through questionnaire. Qualitative da ta was collected using indepth interview with13purposively selected interviewees, three focus groupdiscussions,9 key informants and observation.These primary data were also complement ed by relevant secondary sources which were both published and unpublished.While quantitati ve data was analyzed using descriptive statistics,qualitative data was analyzed through conten t analysis.The study,therefore,identified that lessinsocialinteraction,stigma, becoming a victim of antisocial behavior, quarrels and disagreements at home,suffrages to generate income,depe ndents on parents and friends’ income and psychological disorders(emotional distress,anxiety, despair,unhappiness and feeling inferior)as socioeconomic and psychological consequences o f unemployment.Regarding job preference of unemployed youth, they preferred working in private sectors and governmental sectors rather than doing any tasks (including menial tasks) or establishing own business or engagements in self-employment. Moreover, the community reflection confirmed that youth unemployment disables not only unemployed youths rather it a lso reduce the socialsafety of families, communities andgovernments.Creating good governanc e and promote entrepreneurship were the main government actions so as to reduce youth unemployment in the study area. Hence, to reduce the Socio-economic and psychological consequences of youth unemployment in the towns of Dera Woreda, unemployed youths themselves, families, communities and governments need to devise ways of standing and acting together