Author:Mohamed Muse H.Abdi Director General Ministry of labor and social affairs Unemployment In Somaliland Report

1. Unemployment in Somaliland
Mohamed Muse H.Abdi
Director General
Ministry of labor and social affairs
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2. Unemployment in Somaliland
Somaliland Republic
REPORT
UNEMPLOYMENT IN SOMALILAND
Mohamed Musa H. Abdi
Director General
Minister of Labor & Social Affairs
H a r g e i s a June 2014
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3. Unemployment in Somaliland
Table of Contents
1. List of Abbreviation.
2. Executive Summery.
3. Introduction.
4. Visit and Assessments.
4.1 Awdal and Saahil Regions.
4.2 Togdheer and Sanaag Regions.
4.3 Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
4.4 Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism.
4.5 SONYO Survey.
5. Solution for Employment Generation.
6. Conclusion.
7. Recommendation.
8. References.
9. Biblography.
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4. Unemployment in Somaliland
List of Abbreviations.
MOLSA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
MOYST Ministry of Youth ,Sports and Tourisum
MOE Ministry of Education and higher Education.
CSC Civil Services Commission
REO Regional Education Officer
SONYO Somaliland National Youth Organization
ILO International Labor Organization
IOM International Office of Migration
UN United nation
EU European union
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5. Unemployment in Somaliland
EXECUTIVE SUMMERY
This is the first report about unemployment that the ministry of labor social affairs
(molsa) conducted in 2014.
The purpose of the report is to show the level of unemployment, it’s causes, and the
solutions that can be applied to it.the first stp that molsa tool was to collect
reliable date. A summary of the collected data shows:
 65% of the people of Somaliland are unemployed.
 30%are young females
 20% are young males
 15% are adults
The data also showed some major causes of unemployment and these are :
1. Wide spread illiteracy,
2. A considerable number of graduates from high schools and universities,and
3. Undeveloped economy and natural recourses.
On the basis of the outcomes of the report, the government has formed policies and
strategies to solve the unemployment problem.
Some of these solutions are:
 The establishment of a national development plan (NDP)
 Setting up priorities for economic development.
 Aiming to achieve quality education for all.
 Streamlining vocational and technical training.
 Supporting entrepreneurship and small business.
 Planning the use of natural resources.
 Encouraging the development of manufacturing based on local recourses.
 Taking industries and jobs to rural areas.
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6. Unemployment in Somaliland
INTRODUCTION
Unemployment is major problem for the Somaliland Government therefore the
government strives to reduce the unemployment rate in the country.
The last assessment of unemployment rate indicates that the number of people
are unemployed about 65%. The Ministry of labor and Social Affairs (molsa)
prepared policies that can deal with the problem and find lasting solutions for
it.part of this initiative to deal with the unemployment problem is a servey
conducted by molsa to find the unemployment rate and some of the social effects
that it has on the public. This survey has covered four regions in the country,
namely Sanaag, Togdheer, Saaxil And Awdal. The people interviewed were
classified according to age, gender and education. Below are samples taken from
the results.
VISIT AND ASSESMENTS
1. An Interviewees From Awdal .
Mohamed jama said: iam 45 years old, I was born in borama , iam married and I
have seven children, iam a carpenter . usually iam a daily laborer and a aern daily
wages, but there are times that I do not work. I tjink lack of regular employment is
the main reason that pushes young people to dangerous migration.
2. Ali awale said : Iam 30 years old, I was born in barama I graduated from
amoud university in 2008, but I still do not have a regular job, I often think of
going on these dangerous migration trying my luck to safely land in Europe
and get decent job there.
3. An interviewee from saaxil.
Nura Hassan said: Iam 25years old, I was born in berbera and Iam not
married, I graduated secondary school and I cannot find a job either. Many of
my friends are the same as iam, we are very disappointed and we do not see
any Prospects for as in our country. As a result, many of us are thinking of
migration although it is very dangerous.
An interviewee from Togdheer:
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7. Unemployment in Somaliland
Abdi Adam said: Iam 26 years old and I graduated from the university. Iam
stiil unemployed and do not see any opportunities for employment,
therefore, I have to immigrate and seek employment abroad.
An interviewee from Togdheer :
Sadia saleman said: iam 30 years old woman, and I have rhis small teashop, where
I also sell qad. I came from the rural area, where our family lives with a small stock
of sheep and goats. Iam illiterate and iam poor, I come to town to work, what I do
now is not good work , therefore, I went to collect some money and travel to Saudi
Arabia to as housemaid sice the wages are high there.
An interviewee from sanaag:
Faysal faarax a 40 years old car driver with a large family said: I drive big lorries,
the owner gives me small wages that cannot satisfy the needs of my family, such as
food, rent, medication and their education. It better than nothing but it is not a real
job, therefore iam thinking about going abroad.
An interviewee from sanaag:
Mubarak Hussein said: Iam 17 year old, and I was born in the rural areas near
Erigabo. Iam illiterate and I do not have any skills, as a result, I work in a restaurant
as a dishwasher, this is not a good job for a young man, therefore, I plan to learn
how to read and write, then I will gain good skills that will enable me to get a
better job.
Ministry of Education and higher studies
Director General of higher studies told the researchers that there are 16
Universalities in Somaliland,they produces alarge number of graduates. He said
that the labor market can not absorb them, therefore, many of them may turn to
dangerous migration. Many secondary school graduates have the same experience,
the break unemployment situation may force them to emigrate from Somaliland
illegally.
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8. Unemployment in Somaliland
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism.
Director General of MOLSA visited the office of minster of Youth, Sports, and Truism
and asked the minster about the Situation of unemployment among the young.
The Minister said: our youth face is a very serious unemployment problem, as you
know, the government is trying to do something about it, the problem is being
tackled by many ministries, for example, our ministry has developed policies and
programs, such as developing reliable date base for youth population, keeping
tracking of their frequency of movement. More ever, we are developing training
centers, job centers, and inspirational programs that can help the youth to either
get jobs or create business.
SONYO SURVEY
After interviewing him, SONYO chairman, mr wa,ays said that SONYO carries out a
study on youth unemployment. The study surveyed 800 respondents from six
regions of Somaliland it revealed that 70% of the youth are unemployed; most of
the illegal migrants are either secondary school or university graduates. This is a
huge loss for Somaliland.
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9. Unemployment in Somaliland
Major Causes of the Unemployment
The major causes of unemployment are:
 Illiteracy or lack of education
 Movement of people from rural areas to urban areas
 Lack of government policies to tackle the problems that cause
unemployment, such as illiteracy, lack of infrastructure and lack of
investment.
Some solutions for employment generation
There are numerous ways to tackle unemployment, we can only mention some
major ones in this short report.
 A strategic national development plan, which is setting up policies and
priorities.
 A plan to achieve universal primary education.
 Intensification and upgrading of vocational and technical education.
 Encouragement of entrepreneurship and small business
 Encouragement of manufacturing, using local resourses.
 Modernization and development of infrastructure.
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10. Unemployment in Somaliland
Conclusion.
 Molsa conducted a survey on unemployment situation on four regions of
Somaliland.
 The aim of the research was to know about the about the situation of
unemployment in the Somaliland.
 The survey revealed that unemployment in the country is very high.
The researchers found out that 65% of the people of Somaliland are
unemployed.
 Most of the respondents believe that the major causes of unemployment are:
Lack education and Skills, Lack of employment opportunities increasing
school and university graduates, poor infrastructure and poor economic
planning.
 The government is working to change this by making and following a
national development plan.
 It plans to expand education and training, encourage entrepreneurship and
small business, develop local recourses, local industries, and build the
infrastructure.
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11. Unemployment in Somaliland
Recommendation.
 Ministry of labor and Social Affairs must regularly evaluate the situation of
unemployment and it affects the stability the society.
 The government should prepare Strategic plans and policies and innovative
ways to create job opportunities.
 The government must focus on developing the natural resources of the
Country.
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12. Unemployment in Somaliland
List of references.
 Unemployment rate among Somali Youth. UN report 17/12/2012.
 Somali civilian- WWW.Civiliians Conflict.Org.
 Unemployment people WWW.Webcrowler.com
 Somali Human Development Repot 2012 UNDP.
 Unemployment Rare of Somalia WWW.Somalinet.com
View topic Nov 09/2010.
 Unemployment among Somaliland youth WWW.SOYDA.COM .
A p p e n d i x.
 Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (2 Meetings).
 Ministry of Youth, Sport and Truisms (2 Meetings).
 Ministry of Education and High Education (2 Meetings).
 Regional Education Officers for four Regions (4 Meetings).
 I L O (1 Meeting).
 I O M (1 Meeting).
 C S C (1 Meeting).
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13. Unemployment in Somaliland
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