The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) has said about 2.3 million youths are unemployed and are also not in school.
In its second quarter Labour Force Survey, ZIMSTAT said a total of 2 342 630 people between the ages 15 and 34 are Not in Employment Education and Training (NEET) and, therefore, just lying idle with nothing to do, according to NewZimbabwe.
The number of youth in expanded/relaxed unemployment stands at 1.86 million. The category falling under the unemployment bracket stands at 546 682. Said the report:
The national unemployment rate for youth (15-34) years was 29 percent. Unemployment rate was highest among those who had completed lower secondary at 23 percent followed by those with primary level education at 22%.
Institutions like the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have since raised the red flag on Zimbabwe warning that the country is missing the opportunity to reap the benefits of the Demographic Dividend (DD).
In population studies, (DD) refers to the temporary economic benefits that can arise from a significant increase in the ratio of working-age adults as a result of rapid fertility decline.
Statistics by UNFPA say that the country’s population has almost doubled over the span of three decades, rising from 7.5 million in 1982 to an estimated 16.5 million which, if properly tapped into, can boost the country’s economy.
Meanwhile, economic experts and Civil Society Organisations in Zimbabwe have since called on the government to escalate the implementation of policies which target the youth.