World | Global Unemployment at 8% in 2011

Global unemployment remained stable at 8% between 2010 and 2011, according to Gallup surveys in 148 countries. Unemployment was highest in the Middle East and North Africa (22%) and sub-Saharan Africa (17%) last year and lowest in Asia (5%).

 Countries and territories such as South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Iran, Iraq, and the Palestinian Territories — all of which have among the highest unemployment rates in the world — largely drive the high unemployment rates in the Middle East and North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa regions. Employment data from all 148 countries are available on Gallup’s Global Employment Tracking interactive.

Gallup collects employment data using identical questions worldwide to classify respondents’ employment status. Unemployed people are looking for work and available for work. The underemployed are either unemployed or employed part time but wanting to work full time — this is a more complete measure than an unemployment measure is of the number of people who need more work.

Young people between the ages of 15 and 29 are three times more likely than their older counterparts to be unemployed. Fifteen percent of 15- to 29-year-olds are unemployed, compared with 5% of 30- to 49-year-olds and 5% of 50- to 69-year-olds. Young people are also twice as likely to be underemployed. On a positive note for young people, they are more likely than 50- to 69-year-olds to be working for an employer. The data suggest that while youth are struggling with unemployment, those who are working are more likely than older people to have good jobs.

Source:

read more @ Global Unemployment at 8% in 2011.

Related articles

• Who Is the Most Unemployed? (jobmarketmonitor.com)
• Education still matters for unemployment (jobmarketmonitor.com)
• Algeria | Unemployment and Labor Market Issues (jobmarketmonitor.com)
• European unemployment | Highest in 14 years and Youth Hit Hardest (jobmarketmonitor.com)
• Netherlands | Long-term unemployement increases dramatically among lower educated (jobmarketmonitor.com)