CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
This chapter is structured to clarify the background information, the statement’s problem, the
study objectives, the research questions, and its significance, as well as the scope and limitations
of the study.
1.1 Background of the study
1.1.1 General Unemployment Situation in Kenya
Unemployment in Kenya has become one of those major problems for both leaders and
individuals seeking opportunities (Abdirahman Farah & Abdi Ali, 2018). The unemployment rate
increased from 5.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 4.90 percent in the fourth quarter of
2022, averaging 8.91 percent from 1991 until 2023, reaching an all-time high of 12.20 percent in
the fourth quarter of 2009 and a record low of 4.70 percent in the second quarter of 2019.
(KNBS,2019). The supply of labor has increased beyond the existing demand despite the efforts
of successive governments to curb this ever-increasing problem. This imbalance has resulted in a
substantial backlog. (Abdirahman Farah & Abdi Ali, 2018). Increased unemployment across
geographic areas varies considerably-they reflect not only employment sector diversity but also
job security and different timing in applying local restrictions. (Wilson & Finch, n.d.-a).
The concept of unemployment is defined based on a standard and a national definition. As per
the standard definition, it is the number of people in the labor force who do not have work but
seek employment. To refer to the national definition, it is the total number of people who do not
perform any role relating to production. However, it can also be further defined as the people
who are not currently working but would be willing and able to work given the opportunity
(Alkatheri & Saad, 2019). To clarify the idea of unemployment, the jobless have been defined as
individuals who actively offer their services to the labor market and are searching for work. It is
in this light that the state is supposed to consider the same about regulating economic relations of
employment (Asif et al., 2023). The workplace of the 21st century is different. In other words,
people who have the right skills can easily find jobs that fit them, even priding on the skills as
just 'adequate' in the required field. Once again, many people still find themselves without jobs
due to a lack of the necessary skills or the impact a skills mismatch problem has on
unemployment in many countries (Alkatheri & Saad, 2019). The present unemployment situation
is becoming worse when well-educated people are also not able to grab the limited opportunities
of employment in Kenya or are sometimes compelled to do a job or service with less salary or
wages (Gupta et al., 2020).
The spiraling rate of unemployment continues to create a lot of criminal activities in Kenya and
likewise a lot of social vices. (Otieno & Musya, 2024). The threat becomes that of development,
security, and peaceful co-existence, and such a tag on poverty by most citizens turns the country
into a poverty-stricken society where most families no longer feed properly due to the high cost
of basic staples. (Ighoshemu & Ogidiagba, 2022). Putter (2021) explains how unemployment
manifests through its psychological effects on feelings of worthlessness, loss of identity,
embarrassment, depression, and a sense of powerlessness. Unemployment has been shown to
hurt psychological functioning as unemployed individuals are more anxious, depressed, and
concerned with bodily symptoms than employed individuals, according to a study conducted by
Von Voßemer et al. (2018). On the other hand, it was noted in the study that people with good
support systems and high self-esteem handle the stress of unemployment better. Other scholars
argue against unemployment affecting the self-esteem of an unemployed individual, while others
argue the contrary, that self-esteem is not affected by unemployment but, rather, is just a
character trait that constantly and independently from any condition or surrounding is constant
without being dependent on any situation regarding the environment. (Fakih et al., 2020a).
Kenya has a youthful population with over 80 percent of the population aged 35 years and below
(National Council for Population and Development). This means that the youthful population has
a higher percentage of unemployment cases. Youth bulge has become a global phenomenon and
Kenya is no exception.
1.1.2 Youth unemployment in Kitui
The term "youth" has been defined by the United Nations to mean a person aged from 15 to 24
years; however, different countries define this term based on their customs, traditions, behaviors,
and geographic location. In Kenya, the definition of youth is people between the ages of 18 and
34, as defined in Article 260 of the Kenyan Constitution. This youthful population is an
important demographic asset. Their investment in education, health, skill development, and
employment opportunities is an impending demographic dividend. The returns of investments in
this dividend will only be realized if Kenya invests in health, education, and economic
development (Kitui County Adolescents and Youth Survey NAYS). The youth group in Kitui
County constitutes about 25% of the total population of the country, which translates to around
13.6 million and approximately 300,000 individuals representing 25% of the population of Kitui
County. Identifying determinants of youth unemployment in Kitui has a direct correlation with
productivity improvement since these young individuals play a direct role in the production
process. Therefore, knowing such causes would open pathways for policy-making to better
address the impediments that economies may tend to suffer from (Fakih et al., 2020b).
1.2 Statement of the problem
Achieving full employment is considered to be one of the essential components of realizing the
economic objectives of a country (Munyao, n.d.). Studies find that the life stage of youth in
developing countries is prolonged for some young people due to limited opportunities. (Nurgi,
2020). A fact such as this can become increasingly clear within the limited enclaves in which
policies directed at youth employment have long been confined, such as the Sessional Paper of
1992, 2005, and 2012. Over the years, such policies have not proved sufficient in arresting the
high levels of youth unemployment. More so, the effect of the technical education and vocational
training institutes developed for the youth, to train and acquire skills to ease access into the labor
market, has not been realized in the reduction of youth unemployment; rather, it constitutes a
huge problem. (Katumo & Maingi, 2020). These observations indicate that there is a need to
create, not only more but also decent jobs if the county is to succeed in dealing with the problem
of unemployment among the youth.
According to (Larroy, 2018), some of the micro-level contributors to youth unemployment
include, educational attainment and low skill levels, aspirations, perception of opportunity and
reservation wages, lack of information, discouragement and mental health, geography and costs
of work-seeking, lack of income, lack of work experience, limited social capital, gender and care
and hiring preferences and behavior of employers. Youth unemployment has stagnated for years
due to a lack of proper remedies such as a social security network or active labor market policies
to absorb the unemployed youth into the labor market (Weerasiri & Samaraweera, 2021).
Currently, Kitui County is experiencing a demographic bonus, which means that the county has a
potentially large workforce, and if youth unemployment is not absorbed by employment
opportunities, this demographic gift could turn into a demographic disaster (Yanindah, 2022).
The experience of the previous decade shows that despite a period of sustained employment
growth, inequalities in employment outcomes persisted (Wilson & Finch, n.d.-b) Some of the
factors causing unemployment among Kitui include, family size and background, parents
employability, attitudes and perceptions of youth towards work, levels of educations and skills
and adverse weather condition.
The unemployment problem can be addressed through full exploitation of the opportunities and
addressing various barriers hindering the growth of various sectors of the economy. (Onsomu et
al., n.d.). Therefore, the creation of productive and sustainable employment opportunities
remains the main focus in terms of employment policy interventions in Kitui. (Otieno & Musya,
2024). There is very little evidence on the ground to show that youth have been empowered and
the rate of unemployment is alarming. Not many studies have been undertaken to establish the
causes, effects as well as solutions to such high unemployment rate. (Husain, n.d.).
1.3 Objective of the study
1.3.1 General Objective
The general objective of this research is to determine the causes of unemployment among youths
in Kitui-Kenya.
1.3.2 Specific Objectives
Objectives of this study are to;
i. Determine how the attitudes and perceptions of young people toward work affect
youth unemployment.
ii. Find out how the level of education affects youth unemployment.
iii. Determine how family size and background influence youth unemployment.
iv. Find out how parent's employability and their level of education influence youth
unemployment.
1.4 Research questions
i. How do attitudes and perceptions of young people toward work affect youth
unemployment?
ii. How does the level of education affect youth unemployment?
iii. How do family size and background influences youth unemployment?
iv. How do parent’s employability and their level of education affect youth
unemployment?
1.5 Significance of the study
The policies and recommendations will have the participation of benefactors such as the
policymakers and the constituents of the various bodies from the government-the very ones who
come up with lasting policies and recommendations on unemployment. The findings of this
research will also help the local administration, and parents to understand the drivers of
unemployment and how to solve them. The findings are important to academicians and
researchers as they provide the basis for further research. The study will provide the background
information to research organizations and scholars who would want to carry out further research
in this area. The study will facilitate individual researchers to identify gaps in the current
research and carry out research into those areas.
1.6 Scope of the study
This study sought to examine the effects of youth unemployment in Kenya: The case of Kitui
County for the years 2020 to 2024. The study will be conducted in Kitui County. The scope will
be limited to both community and government leaders within Kitui County. The target
population was drawn from county Government administrators, religious leaders, and youth
leaders. Leaders were selected as the target population on the basis that they were considered the
agents of youth unemployment.
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