IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rnd/arjebs/v9y2017i1p56-68.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

South Africa's Youth Unemployment Dilemma: Whose Baby is it anyway?

Author

Listed:
  • Natanya Meyer

Abstract

Youth unemployment is a major concern to various different countries, including South Africa, which ranked fourth-worst in the global youth unemployment ratings in 2013 and 2014reaching rates of more than 50 percent. Entrepreneurship development and increased employability through appropriate skills development have been considered as possible solutions to this growing problem. The aim of this study is to determine perceptions of students pertaining their entrepreneurial outlook and perceived employability. Validated Entrepreneurship- and Employability Scales were used to determine entrepreneurial outlook and perceived employability perception. A total of 293 students from a South African University participated in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, histograms, Pearson correlation, MANOVA and ANOVA. The findingsof this studyshow that student’sperceptions indicated that if they haveamore entrepreneurial outlook, it could strongly increase their employability. They also do not think that after the completion of their degrees that they would be more employable. A significance difference was found between year level of study, race, age, and perception of entrepreneurial outlook and employability variables of the students.They seem to have a realistic view when it comes to the risk of possible unemployment for some time after graduation. Based on these findings, it is suggested that introducing entrepreneurship training and employability programs (skills development) to students during the completion of their higher education career, could assist in the reduction of youth unemployment in South Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Natanya Meyer, 2017. "South Africa's Youth Unemployment Dilemma: Whose Baby is it anyway?," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 9(1), pages 56-68.
    • Handle: RePEc:rnd:arjebs:v:9:y:2017:i:1:p:56-68
    DOI: 10.22610/jebs.v9i1(J).1557
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ojs.amhinternational.com/index.php/jebs/article/view/1557/1379
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://ojs.amhinternational.com/index.php/jebs/article/view/1557
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22610/jebs.v9i1(J).1557?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blanchflower, David G. & Freeman, Richard B. (ed.), 2000. "Youth Employment and Joblessness in Advanced Countries," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226056586, December.
    2. Natanya Meyer & Daniel Francois Meyer & Karabo Molefe, 2016. "Barriers To Small Informal Business Development And Entrepreneurship: The Case Of The Emfuleni Region," Polish Journal of Management Studies, Czestochowa Technical University, Department of Management, vol. 13(1), pages 121-133, June.
    3. Mortensen, Dale & Pissarides, Christopher, 2011. "Job Creation and Job Destruction in the Theory of Unemployment," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 1, pages 1-19.
    4. Pablo Ibarraran & Laura Ripani & Bibiana Taboada & Juan Villa & Brigida Garcia, 2014. "Life skills, employability and training for disadvantaged youth: Evidence from a randomized evaluation design," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-24, December.
    5. Nicoli Nattrass & Richard Walker, 2005. "Unemployment And Reservation Wages In Working‐Class Cape Town," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 73(3), pages 498-509, September.
    6. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Introduction to "Schooling, Experience, and Earnings"," NBER Chapters, in: Schooling, Experience, and Earnings, pages 1-4, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Ross Levine & Yona Rubinstein, 2017. "Smart and Illicit: Who Becomes an Entrepreneur and Do They Earn More?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 132(2), pages 963-1018.
    8. O'Higgins, Niall, 2001. "Youth unemployment and employment policy: a global perspective," MPRA Paper 23698, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Paul Ryan, 2001. "The School-to-Work Transition: A Cross-National Perspective: Corrigendum," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(3), pages 767-767, September.
    10. Richard Freeman & David G. Blanchflower, 2000. "Introduction to "Youth Employment and Joblessness in Advanced Countries"," NBER Chapters, in: Youth Employment and Joblessness in Advanced Countries, pages 1-16, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. David G. Blanchflower & Richard B. Freeman, 2000. "Youth Employment and Joblessness in Advanced Countries," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number blan00-1, May.
    12. James J. Heckman & Jora Stixrud & Sergio Urzua, 2006. "The Effects of Cognitive and Noncognitive Abilities on Labor Market Outcomes and Social Behavior," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(3), pages 411-482, July.
    13. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Schooling and Earnings," NBER Chapters, in: Schooling, Experience, and Earnings, pages 41-63, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Jacob A. Mincer, 1974. "Schooling, Experience, and Earnings," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number minc74-1, May.
    15. Paul Ryan, 2001. "The School-to-Work Transition: A Cross-National Perspective," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(1), pages 34-92, March.
    16. International Labour Office., 2013. "Global employment trends for youth 2013 : a generation at risk," Global Employment Trends Reports 994816973402676, International Labour Office, Economic and Labour Market Analysis Department.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jacobus Johannes de Jongh, 2019. "Understanding the Drivers of Long-Term Youth Unemployment: Micro-Level Evidence from South Africa," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 9912297, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hector Espinoza & Stefan Speckesser, 2019. "A Comparison of Earnings Related to Higher Level Vocational/Technical and Academic Education," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 502, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    2. Floreani, Vincent Arthur, 2014. "Fixing Europe's youth unemployment and skills mismatch, can public financial support to SMEs be effective? The case of the European Commission and European Investment Bank joint initiatives," MPRA Paper 55849, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Maria Sironi, 2018. "Economic Conditions of Young Adults Before and After the Great Recession," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 103-116, March.
    4. Francesco Pastore & Luca Giuliani, 2015. "The determinants of youth unemployment. A panel data analysis," Discussion Papers 2_2015, CRISEI, University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
    5. Cecil Mlatsheni & Sandrine Rospabé, 2002. "An Analysis of the Spatial Distribution of the Clothing and Textile Industry in SADC," Working Papers 02065, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    6. repec:ces:ifofor:v:18:y:2017:i:2:p:19-25 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Eric A. Hanushek, 2017. "Education and the Growth-Equity Trade-Off," NBER Chapters, in: Education, Skills, and Technical Change: Implications for Future US GDP Growth, pages 293-312, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Fujii, Mayu & Shiraishi, Kousuke & Takayama, Noriyuki, 2013. "The Determinants and Effects of Early Job Separation in Japan," CIS Discussion paper series 590, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    9. Umkehrer, Matthias, 2013. "Youth Employment Instability, True State Dependence and Adult Wage Inequality," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 80014, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. Maria Esther Oswald-Egg & Ursula Renold, 2019. "No Experience, No Employment: The Effect of Vocational Education and Training Work Experience on Labour Market Outcomes after Higher Education," KOF Working papers 19-469, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    11. Pompei, Fabrizio & Selezneva, Ekaterina, 2021. "Unemployment and education mismatch in the EU before and after the financial crisis," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 448-473.
    12. Prskawetz, Alexia & Veliov, Vladimir M., 2007. "Age-specific dynamic labor demand and human capital investment," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 3741-3777, December.
    13. Heckman, James J. & Urzúa, Sergio, 2010. "Comparing IV with structural models: What simple IV can and cannot identify," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 156(1), pages 27-37, May.
    14. Yuchtman, Noam, 2017. "Teaching to the tests: An economic analysis of traditional and modern education in late imperial and republican China," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 70-90.
    15. Dahlberg, Susanne & Nahum, Ruth-Aïda, 2003. "Cohort Effects on Earnings Profiles: Evidence from Sweden," Arbetsrapport 2003:3, Institute for Futures Studies.
    16. Han, Euna & Norton, Edward C. & Powell, Lisa M., 2011. "Direct and indirect effects of body weight on adult wages," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 381-392.
    17. Vladimir Gimpelson, 2019. "Age and Wage: Stylized Facts and Russian Evidence," HSE Economic Journal, National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 23(2), pages 185-237.
    18. Tomasz Gajderowicz & Gabriela Grotkowska & Leszek Wincenciak, 2012. "Does Students\’ International Mobility Increase Their Employability?," Ekonomia journal, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, vol. 30.
    19. Emilia Bedyk & Jacek Liwiński, 2016. "The wage premium from parents’ investments in the education of their children in Poland," Working Papers 2016-14, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    20. Ernesto Amaral & Bernardo Queiroz & Júlia Calazans, 2015. "Demographic changes, educational improvements, and earnings in Brazil and Mexico," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-21, December.
    21. Gensowski, Miriam, 2018. "Personality, IQ, and lifetime earnings," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 170-183.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rnd:arjebs:v:9:y:2017:i:1:p:56-68. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Muhammad Tayyab (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://ojs.amhinternational.com/index.php/jebs .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.