A Critical Analysis on youth unemployment and social change in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper explores an analysis of youth unemployment and social changes in Jos North LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria. Unemployment is seen as a situation which tends to bring about a number of social problems such as crime, drugs and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy and other vices in contemporary society today. The objectives of the paper were to: examine the causes of unemployment and social changes, find out the challenges faced by youths as a result of unemployment, proffer ways in which employment opportunities and social change can be enhanced among youths in the study area. The study adopted the Keynesian economics theory; which explains how an economy's total spending affects output, employment, and inflation. The survey research design method was adopted for the study, using mixed methods (questionnaire and in-depth interview) with a total of 110 respondents for the study. A total of one hundred (100) questionnaires were administered, along with ten(10) in- depth interview conducted among youths using the purposive sampling technique; with stratified sampling technique method adopted in the selection of location and respondents for the study, while Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25 was used for data analysis. The major findings from the study revealed that a notable 35% of Nigerian youths between the ages of 15-34 years are unemployed while 28% of them are officially recognized as unemployed; which emerged as a substantial impediment to social integration, exposing disenfranchised youths as a result of limited jobs opportunities and instability. The study concluded that there is need to address economic disparities, improve employment opportunities and enhance inclusive youths participation. Recommendations have been made that Nigerian government can harness an increase in youth employment, paving way for sustainable growth and development.