Demographic and Socio-Economic Determinants of Urban Youth Unemployment: The Case of Ambo Town of Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to identify the demographic and socioeconomic determinants of urban youth unemployment in Ambo Town, Oromia national regional state of Ethiopia. To carry out the study, primary data were collected from 150 randomly selected sample youth respondents. To analyze the collected data, the study used both descriptive and logistic regression model. The findings revealed that among all the respondents, 59 percent were found unemployed, while 41 percent were employed at the time of the study area. Besides, among independents variables, migration status the face of unemployed, marital status, health status, family support, and educational level, access to training, work experience and monthly family income were the significant determinants of urban youth unemployment in the study area. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of changing youth’s attitude towards work; capacitating youths through short term and long term training; providing health care services; and improving the living conditions of urban households through expanding economic activity and employment opportunities in the area. Therefore, providing improved access to training system, equally distributing source of income through Entrepreneurship skills for youth and the way of and aiding to conserve invest in small scale business to improving their lively hood through providing incentives to participants and creating more awareness in changing attitudes of community and youth toward job creation especially on gender awareness, will accelerate in reduction of unemployment in the study area.