General Program & Policy Design

COVID-19 and Youth Employment in Jordan and Palestine: Impacts, Opportunities, and a Way Forward

The study draws on youth and employer survey results to document the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people in Jordan and Palestine, with an emphasis on vulnerable youth including refugees in Jordan, youth in Gaza, and young women. Key topics include:

  • Youth employment trajectories during the pandemic
  • Youth interest in virtual freelancing jobs
  • Employer hiring projections and demand for skills
  • Promising sectors for youth employment during the COVID-19 recovery

Good Jobs for Angolan Youth : Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Directions

Angola is at a critical juncture and a multi-sectoral strategy is needed to stimulate job creation that will help build the economy and future prospects for young Angolans, while more deeply engaging youth and increasing productivity in the short term. Job prospects are limited and although youth are better prepared for the labor market than adults, they are still vulnerable and face multiple constraints. The existing portfolio of Active Labor Market Programs offer few programs that are appropriate for the most vulnerable youth.

Jobs in the Horn of Africa : Synoptic Brief

This note provides an overview of labor markets and job outcomes in the Horn of Africa. It provides an overview of issues related to jobs in the five countries of the region, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. It first discusses labor market characteristics, notably labor force participation, unemployment and underemployment,as well as demographics of the labor force. Secondly, it compares employment patterns, focusing on the type and sector of employment. Finally, it looks at the limited information available on jobs outcomes – notably, wage levels.

Resources for, and Needs of Vulnerable and Marginalized Young People on Digital Literacy, Safety and Participation

This UNDP report aims to understand the needs of LGBTI young people and Young Key Populations (YKP) in the AIDS response in the Asia-Pacific region, in their quest for more secure digital spaces and improved experiences of digital citizenship. The assessment also acts as guidance material for Youth-led organizations (Youth Lead and Y-Peer) to develop their own tools and resources for their communities and support grassroot level organizations to build online platforms for advocacy.

What Do You Want to Be? : Youth Aspirations in the Time of the COVID-19 Crisis - Evidence from Three Sub-Saharan Countries

This World Bank report incorporates youth aspirations and employment module of High-Frequency Phone Surveys (HFPS) into multi-topic household surveys to present the differences in education and career aspirations across Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Malawi. The data collected is nationally representative, and age distribution is similar across countries. Understanding the aspirations and goals of the youth is expected to lead to the development of effective employment policies.

Jobs Undone : Reshaping the Role of Governments toward Markets and Workers in the Middle East and North Africa

This World Bank report argues that the lack of market contestability in the MENA region makes it hard for new firms to start up and expand—so employment cannot grow fast enough to keep up with the growth of the working-age population. In addition, the report underlines the limited market dynamism and stunted job creation that continues to depress MENA's private sector. Finally, the report highlights the importance of understanding the policies and regulations hindering market contestability.

Youth voices in youth employment: A roadmap for promoting meaningful youth engagement in youth employment programs

This report aims to guide stakeholders with tools and information to support the integration of meaningful youth engagement into youth employment programming and strategies. The paper outlines what meaningful youth engagement is, why meaningful youth engagement is important, and how it could be embedded across various stages of the program life cycle, as well as within a funder’s strategy and culture. The presented roadmap’s recommendations are both immediately actionable and aspirational.

Sudan: Scoping Report

This report provides an understanding of Sudan's country context and the specific challenges affecting youth employment. The study also identifies key opportunities and solutions to increase youth employment and assesses how the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), launched in 2019 by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can play a role in supporting them.

What Works?: To Reduce Poverty Through Social Protection

This paper presents evidence on how social protection and especially non-contributory cash transfers impact on individuals and households in low- and middle-income countries. The paper provides guidance on what policies, programming and interventions have been considered effective for Sida’s objective of creating better living conditions for people living in poverty and oppression.