Author: Christiana E.E. Okojie
Volume: 55 Issue No:1 Year:2013

Abstract: Youth unemployment and underemployment are global problems. The rising world-wide unemployment has hit young persons hard, especially young women. Those who can find work often face long working hours, short term informal contracts, low pay and little or no social protection such as security or other benefits. The paper examines the state of
joblessness, underemployment and poverty among young persons in Nigeria from a gender perspective. It provides a brief profile of young
persons in Nigeria and undertakes a gender analysis of the experiences of young people in the Nigerian labour market. The analysis confirms the
findings of gender studies that young women face additional disadvantages in the labour market, have lower labour force participation rates and they find it more difficult to find and to keep jobs. They are concentrated in the low-status and low-paying sectors of the labour market. The paper argues therefore, that young women should be
treated as a disadvantaged group in any scheme designed to assist the youth. Further, that it is important that the gender dimension is incorporated into all job creation and poverty reduction programmes.

JEL classification: E24; J16, J71