Waiting for a public sector job in Ethiopia

Urban unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa is very high. In Ethiopia, male urban unemployment is concentrated among the young and relatively well educated. Many of these young men remain unemployed while waiting for the chance of a good job in the public sector.

Research from the University of Oxfordin the UK examines unemployment among young men in urban Ethiopia. The research draws on survey data on 1500 householdsin Ethiopia’s seven largest cities.

In Ethiopia’s cities most men with jobs either work in the publicsector (27 percent), or are self-employed or working in the informal sector (33percent). Around one-third are unemployed and a smallshare work in the formal private sector. The gap in wages between pubic sectoremployment and self-employment is very large.

Over half the young men inthe survey were unemployed, although almost two-thirds had reached at leastjunior secondary school level. The research also shows that most unemployedyoung men are first-time job seekers. Around half of them are hoping to find awell paid job in the public sector but far more people lookforwork in the public sector than there are job opportunities.

Key findings of the researchinclude:

• Most unemployedyoung men are supported by their parents while they look for a job (84 percent).
• The richesthouseholds do not have the highest unemployment rates, so unemployment is not aluxury.
• Unemployed men spendnearly four years in unemployment, on average.
• Men who are relativelyolder, who have unemployed fathers, or who are looking for a public sector job,spend longer unemployed.
• Those who lookfor a job through friends and relatives or by approaching an employer directlyspend less time unemployed than those who respond to adverts or use agencies.

The research shows thatunemployment in Ethiopia occurs largely among the middle-class. This isconsistent with the findings of previous studies on other developing countries,including SriLanka,Indonesia and Colombia. Young men aspiring to a job in the public sectortend not to take a temporary job while they are waiting for an opportunity.This may be because they do not have enough money to start their own business,because it is easier to network while unemployed, or because casual jobs areconsidered low status and could potentially jeopardise their chances ofeventually getting a public sector job.

Other conclusions of theresearch include:

• Social networksof friends and relatives are useful for finding work, but only if a person isalready unemployed.
• Further researchis needed to understand why young men do not take up a temporary job whilewaiting for public sector jobs.