Youth jobless rate more than double the average

THE JOBLESS rate among young people in Cyprus is two and a half times higher than the average for the population, it emerged yesterday.

Despite Cyprus having one of the lowest long term unemployment rates within the EU, the youth constitute one the most professionally vulnerable groups in the population, according to Labour Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous.

Charalambous expressed the Ministry of Labour and Communications’ efforts to support the youth  yesterday at a conference entitled “The Youth and Labour, Challenges and Prospects”, organised by the Youth Board of Cyprus, in corporation with the trade unions of PEO, SEK and DEOK.

“The unemployment rate amongst the youth is two and a half times higher than the average for the population” Charalambous said, adding that actions are being taken by the government to support them in this time of crisis by “Increasing the positions available, supporting the youth in their professional orientation, the acquisition of quality education and continually informing everyone on issues regarding the conditions of employment”. Measures mentioned to tackle unemployment included sponsored programmes to allow the youth to obtain work experience and employment, which will also allow businesses to benefit from the youth dynamic.

At a time of economic recession university graduates are returning to Cyprus to be faced with unemployment, with 70 per cent of Cypriot students pursuing higher education, according to Secretary of the Young Workers Department of PEO, Pieri Pieri. He added that “In the EU, the number of unemployed has reached 100 million, surpassing 10 percent of the population, with youth unemployment doubling that; meaning one in five young people are unemployed”. Cyprus fares better, with the average unemployment rate being 6.2 percent and 14.5 percent amongst people up to the age of 25.

Emphasis was placed on guiding the young from an early age to a suitable professional orientation and cultivating their skills, as well as ensuring equal opportunities are available to all regardless of sex and race. “In Cyprus, despite advances in this area, discrimination between men and women in the work force still exists” said Secretary of the Young Workers Department of DEOK, Georgia Ktoridou.

The General Secretary of  DEOK, Diomedes Diomedous said that “The young people searching for a job or even trying to keep their current jobs, are in a constant state of stress and insecurity..They are justifiably wondering how they will be able to put their own roof over their heads”.

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