A region in which two-thirds of the population are under 30 should be dynamic and ready to embrace the technological changes reshaping the world’s economy. Yet, despite increasing global interconnectedness, the Middle East and North Africa have the world’s highest levels of youth unemployment. The UN’s latest Arab Human Development Report estimates that the region needs to create an eye-watering 60m jobs by 2020. Youth-focused policies, both local and international, have prioritised stemming migration and preventing radicalisation ahead of thinking creatively about tackling the causes of both. But even success stories such as Morocco and Tunisia’s car plants and aeronautics hubs rarely create more than 30,000 jobs apiece.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 03, 2017 08:09 UTC