10 Countries with Highest Unemployment Rate in 2024

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that 9.9 million out of a total of 44.47 million young people aged 15-24 in the country were neither in school nor working as of August 2023. Youth born in 1997-2012, commonly referred to as Gen Z, are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).  

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) presented unemployment rate data of various countries as of April 2024. Here is the list of the top 10 countries with the highest unemployment rate:

1. Sudan

Sudan topped the list with an unemployment level of 49.5 percent, attributed to inadequate access to quality education, resulting in a shortage of essential job skills among the youth in the country, even basic knowledge, such as reading and writing.

2. South Africa

South Africa followed with an unemployment rate of 33.5 percent, with limited educational opportunities and gender equality issues serving as key contributing factors. Young women often have a harder time finding decent jobs than men.

3. Georgia

According to a study by an independent consulting group, PMC Research, there was a misalignment between educational qualifications and labor market demands, contributing to a high unemployment rate of 15.7 percent in the West Asia region.

4. Ukraine

In Ukraine, armed conflict with Russia significantly impacted infrastructure, business, and economic activities, resulting in a substantial job loss for over 5 million people, culminating in a 14.5 percent unemployment rate.

5. Republic of North Macedonia

With an unemployment rate of 14.1 percent, the Republic of North Macedonia ranks fifth on the list of countries with the highest unemployment rate globally. Some of the reasons are skills mismatch, intense competition in the job market, and intense competition between new graduates and seasoned workers.

6. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina grappled with a high unemployment rate of 13.3 percent, compounded by labor supply-demand mismatches, limited job opportunities, and institutional capacity constraints in handling employment issues.

7. Armenia

Armenia witnessed a high unemployment rate of 13 percent, leading hundreds of thousands of citizens to emigrate, seeking better job prospects in other countries, including Russia and the United States.

8. Morocco

The unemployment level in Morocco reached 12 percent in April 2024, partly attributable to a decline in the nation’s agriculture due to drought since the end of last year, as stated by Morocco's High Commission for Planning (HCP).

9. Spain

Spain's unemployment rate reached 11.6 percent, primarily driven by a large number of temporary work contracts and the dominance of small businesses in the country's economy.

10. Albania

Albania rounded out the top 10 with an unemployment rate of 11 percent, resulting in a significant portion of young people under the age of 30 preferring to emigrate to seek better opportunities abroad.

How about Indonesia?

Indonesia stood at the 57th position with a 5.2 percent unemployment rate. Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah attributed this to a mismatch between the education system and the demands of the labor market.

MELYNDA DWI PUSPITA 

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