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Youth Unemployment, Education and Political Instability: Evidence from Selected Developing Countries 1991-2009

Author

Listed:
  • Therese F. Azeng

    (University of Yaoundé 2 (Cameroon))

  • Thierry U. Yogo

    (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur le Développement International (CERDI) University of Auvergne)

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of youth unemployment on political instability in developing countries through three hypotheses. Firstly, youth unemployment has significant effects on risk of political instability. Secondly, we consider that the relationship between unemployment rate and political instability is conditional upon education levels. Finally, we examine whether youth unemployment can lead to anti-government demonstrations rather than global instability. Using a sample covering 40 developing countries over the period 1991-2009, we confirm the positive effect of youth unemployment on political violence. However the level of education lowers the magnitude of the effect. The effect of youth unemployment on coups d’état is significant but not robust. Finally, the results suggest that the relationship between youth unemployment and political instability is not robust. A possible explanation is that the main predictors of political instability are also determinants of unemployment. Therefore, youth unemployment can be a symptom rather than the illness and cannot alone explain political instability.

Suggested Citation

  • Therese F. Azeng & Thierry U. Yogo, 2015. "Youth Unemployment, Education and Political Instability: Evidence from Selected Developing Countries 1991-2009," HiCN Working Papers 200, Households in Conflict Network.
    • Handle: RePEc:hic:wpaper:200
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Unemployment; Political Instability; Coup d’état; Youth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • F52 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - National Security; Economic Nationalism
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth

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