Yemen’s unemployed youth: Seeking new land [Archives:2008/1139/Business & Economy]

By: YemenTimes Staff
Yemen is the most underdeveloped country in the region suffering from significant development challenges ranging from education and healthcare, to employment and economic opportunities. Within this reality over ten million Yemeni youth are finding themselves lost in between the grim realities and an unpromising future. However, most youth believe that the path towards a brighter future abroad, through migrating to another country in order to find work and remit funds back to their families, and eventually return to Yemen with a lump sum amount that would enable them to live the lives they've always wanted. YemenTimes surveyed a number of youth and got their opinions on this regards.

Mustapha Aqlan, a university student, stated that there are simply too many people competing for the same amount of jobs in Yemen, forcing many of them to remain in unemployment ranks. He reiterated that after 16 years of studies and learning many find themselves achieving nothing and their educational efforts are unrecognized.

AbdulSalam Ahmed, another university student, added that even if you find a job, the compensation is very low and is barely enough to buy food given the high inflation and the rising costs of everything, he stated that the minimum government salary standing at US$ 100 is not enough to pay the rent, mind you buy the food and pay the bills.

Fatima A., a Human Resource officer, stated that the outcome of the educational system in Yemen is unable to produce the required type of workers by many organizations, and hence many companies have foreign employees working for them such as Iraqis, Indians, and Philipinos. She also reiterated that there are many problems when dealing with qualified Yemeni employees, including unreliability, continuing to change jobs, and that they are less cooperative compared to Asians and others who abide by their contracts.

Nasser Ahmed, a construction contractor, stated that the inability to find good jobs forces many graduates to work in manual labor, he said: “I have university graduates from the facilities of art, science, and commerce working as manual laborers, I even have one who graduated among the top of his class.”

When asked about what are their plans to escape this reality, many stated that they want to migrate to gulf states and to the west as there are better jobs there. Ahmed Al-Showafi stated that he raising funds in order to pay smugglers to smuggle him to Saudi, he said that it will cost him around US$ 500, and there are chances that he will not succeed, but the opportunity is worth the try, he added.

Saeed Al-Maqtari, a doctor, stated that he had applied to many hospitals and clinics throughout gulf states through email, and also submitted many applications through employment offices in Yemen, however, so far he has been unable to land a good job worth the trouble.

He said; “for one offer, the employing agent wanted the salary of six months for a two-year contract, and the agent also said if I don't want the contract there are other doctors in Yemen who will take the offer, and apparently others did.”

Ismael Al-baidani said that the U.S. embassy in Yemen rejected his request for migration twice, firstly because his English was not very good, so he studied English for a year and tried again, but the second time they did not offer an explanation. However, he said he will not lose hope, as one of his relatives is in the U.S. and will send him an invite for him to go there.

Mona Al-Shehari, a cleric, said that in spite of all the hardships in yemen there are people who progress and are able to achieve their goals, they just have to try harder and be creative. She admitted that many people want to migrate, but she added that even after you migrate you need to work just as hard, so why not make the effort while in yemen.

Deputy Minister for youth Mu'amar Al-Eryani stated in a previous occasion that the government of yemen is working hard towards improving the living and economic conditions of the youth, he added that there are milestones that need to be achieved in order to boost the development of the country, and that youth are an important pillar towards that end.

Minister of Migrants Saleh Same'e stated that Yemen has high expectations from its own immigrants abroad in order to bring back their experience and wealth and reinvest it into the country, calling on the youth not to give up on their homeland and not to forget that they have a responsibility towards their country, and that the ministry will work hand-in-hand with migrants to reducing hardships in Yemen.
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