Youth in the South African labour market – the first 25 years since the economic transition

Abstract

The South African economy is confronted with various socio-economic problems. In particular, the persistently high and rising unemployment rate (especially for the youth), which has always been one of them. Unemployment has been generally classified as structural because of the mismatch between skills that the jobseekers are willing to supply and skills that are actually demanded by employers for vacancies that are available. Youths are less likely to find employment and the employed youths are more likely to be retrenched during recessions due to their lack of experience.