Djibouti Youth Employment Activity (YEA)

Challenge

According to the Statistica, in 2022, the youth employment rate in Djibouti was 77.19%¹ compared to the overall unemployment rate of 27.93%² in the same year. With a small economy and limited sectors, limited demand in some specialized technical fields, and a private sector that has limited avenues through which to advocate for changes in labor and other regulations, youth in Djibouti face a myriad of challenges in entering the labor market.

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Youth Employment Activity (YEA) will strengthen both the demand for skills and the supply of skills needed for sectoral growth in Djibouti. The project will address the underlying regulatory and nonregulatory constraints that hinder employers from maximizing growth and employment while promoting social inclusion. It will also empower youth—particularly young women, youth with disabilities, and youth in vulnerable situations—with the assets and agency they need to take advantage of new job opportunities through market-calibrated skills development, more informed decision-making about career pathways, and more direct work experience.

¹Statistica. (n.d.). Djibouti: Youth unemployment rate from 2003 to 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/811956/youth-unemployment-rate-in-djibouti/

²Statistica. (n.d.). Djibouti: Unemployment rate from 2003 to 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/807948/unemployment-rate-in-djibouti/

Key Activities

The project is carrying out the following activities:

Conduct gender and socially inclusive market system assessments and sector analyses
Establish a committee on youth employment opportunities
Co-create a strategy for expanding IT options at Djibouti’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions
Create working groups to develop solutions to regulatory and nonregulatory constraints
Strengthen work experience and internship models
Develop a management training practicum
Provide job skills informed by private sector needs and engagement

Impact

The demand and supply of skills needed for sectoral growth will be strengthened.
Regulatory and nonregulatory constraints to business growth will be addressed.
Young job seekers will have access to work-based learning and pre-employment opportunities.
Young job seekers will be linked to employment.