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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Youth unemployment and underemployment in North Macedonia: Coping mechanisms and strategies

    Description
    Description
    The ultimate goal of the commitment is supporting the development of evidence-based national policies and strategies to improve young people’s access to decent jobs. Research on young people’s position in the labour market in North Macedonia will be conducted. This includes an examination of the micro and macro determinants that lead to youth unemployment and underemployment. Research findings will provide evidence-based policy recommendations. Through direct contact with the national policymakers and dissemination activities, the issue of youth unemployment will be put on their agenda and will raise public awareness on the importance of mitigating negative consequences of youth employment challenges.
    Implementation of the Project/Activity

    The Macedonian labour market improved significantly in recent years, but the unemployment rate of youth aged 15-24 remained at a very high level at 35 per cent. The objective of this commitment is twofold:
    (i) to bring the issues of unemployment of youth in the policymakers' agenda in an explicit and clearly-formulated manner;
    (ii) to propose specific policy actions.
    In particular, the research is expected to produce evidence on the characteristics of unemployed and underemployed, on micro and macro determinants of these phenomena as well on labour market position effect for youth welfare. To provide data-driven information, data from several surveys, such as STWS, LFS and/or SILC will be used, while using econometric models will estimate the relationship between labour market position and wellbeing. As such, findings will represent a strong advocacy tool for achieving both policy objectives stated above. The action envisaged production of many visibility materials that are expected to bring knowledge and raise public awareness. Also, we will produce several policy documents that will be directly disseminated to the key national policymakers like the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Employment State Agency, etc. The findings will feed into policies in terms of designing policy measures, active programs and national strategies that will mitigate the negative consequences of unemployment and underemployment, and will create a more supportive space for decent jobs for youth.

    Partners
    FInance Think - Economic Research & Policy Institute

    Goal 8

    Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

    Goal 8

    8.1

    Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
    8.1.1

    Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita

    8.2

    Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors

    8.2.1

    Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person

    8.3

    Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services

    8.3.1

    Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex

    8.4

    Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead

    8.4.1

    Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

    8.4.2

    Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP

    8.5

    By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
    8.5.1

    Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities

    8.5.2

    Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities

    8.6

    By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
    8.6.1

    Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training

    8.7

    Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms

    8.7.1

    Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age

    8.8

    Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment

    8.8.1

    Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status

    8.8.2

    Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status

    8.9

    By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

    8.9.1

    Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate

    8.10

    Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all

    8.10.1

    (a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults

    8.10.2

    Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider

    8.a

    Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries
    8.a.1

    Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements

    8.b

    By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization

    8.b.1

    Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy

    Name Description
    10 knowledge sharing or advocacy tactics on youth employment carried out, including events, campaigns and media items
    1 knowledge products on youth employment developed
    National strategies for youth employment supported in their development or operationalization in 3 countries (India, Tunisia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
    6 youth employment stakeholders supported through technical assistance, capacity-building or peer learning
    National strategies for youth employment supported in their development or operationalization in 1 country (North Macedonia)
    N/A
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
    False
    Action Network
    Decent Jobs for Youth
    This initiative does not yet fulfil the SMART criteria.
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    Timeline
    01 January 2020 (start date)
    31 December 2022 (date of completion)
    Entity
    N/A
    SDGs
    Countries
    N/A
    Contact Information

    Despina Tumanoska, Program Coordinator