YOUTH, EMPLOYMENT AND MIGRATION IN MOGADISHU, KISMAYO AND BAIDOA Prepared by Altai Consulting for IOM Somalia | Somalia – February 2016 © IOM Somalia February 2016 This publication has been issued without formal editing by IOM. Unless specified otherwise, all pictures in this report are credited to Altai Consulting. Cover picture credit: Omar Faruk. Altai Consulting - February 2016 YOUTH, EMPLOYMENT, MIGRATION IN MOGADISHU, 2 KISMAYO AND BAIDOA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was written by Flora Vever, Camille Le Coz, Arezo Malakooti (Migration Subject Matter Expert) and Matthieu Dillais, with the support of Eric Davin and Maximilien von Berg (Altai Consulting). We thank Tusmo Consulting for their support throughout the research, in particular our consultant Ali Mohamed Hassan. Our researchers Abdilahi Caade, Musa Osman, Omar Hagi Ibrahim, Abdirahim Ibrahim Nor, Abshir Osman Mohamed, Ahmed Hamed Issan, Said Omar also contributed to the research and the management of our team of enumerators. Abdiaziz Hersi Warsame and Abdikarim Caare supported us with logistics and administrative arrangements. We are very grateful to Frantz Celestin, Nyawira Kimondo and Della Awuor from IOM Somalia for their support throughout the research. Our thanks is also extended to all the stakeholders and youth who accepted to answer our questions in Mogadishu, Kismayo and Baidoa. YOUTH, EMPLOYMENT, MIGRATION IN MOGADISHU, Altai Consulting - February 2016 KISMAYO AND BAIDOA 3 CONTENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................... 12 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 14 1.1. Context ..................................................................................................................... 14 1.2. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................................ 15 2. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 17 2.1. Methodology Approach ............................................................................................ 17 2.2. Research Modules ................................................................................................... 18 2.3. Challenges and Limitations ...................................................................................... 25 3. THE YOUTH WORKFORCE ...................................................................................... 27 3.1. Youth Education ....................................................................................................... 28 3.1.1. Youth with No Education ................................................................................... 28 3.1.2. Youth with Primary/Secondary Education ......................................................... 29 3.1.3. Higher Education ............................................................................................... 30 3.2. Youth Employment ................................................................................................... 35 3.2.1. Occupations ...................................................................................................... 35 3.2.2. Employment Statuses ........................................................................................ 37 3.2.3. Levels of Income ................................................................................................ 38 3.3. Youth Unemployment .............................................................................................. 41 3.3.1. Unemployed Youth ............................................................................................ 42 3.3.2. Reasons for Unemployment .............................................................................. 43 3.3.3. Housewives ....................................................................................................... 44 3.4. Youth Aspirations ..................................................................................................... 44 3.4.1. Aspirations of Students ..................................................................................... 45 3.4.2. Aspirations of the Youth Workforce ................................................................... 46 4. THE EMPLOYMENT MARKET FOR YOUTH ............................................................ 51 4.1. Labour Market Conditions ........................................................................................ 51 4.1.1. Private Sector .................................................................................................... 52 4.1.2. Public Sector ..................................................................................................... 58 4.1.3. Aid Sector: Local and International NGOs ......................................................... 60 4.2. Labour Demand ....................................................................................................... 61 4.2.1. Labour Demand Private Sector ......................................................................... 62 4.2.2. Labour Demand Public Sector .......................................................................... 64 4.2.3. Labour Demand Aid Sector ............................................................................... 65 4.3. Recruitment Process ................................................................................................ 65 4.3.1. Advertising Vacant Positions ............................................................................. 65 4.3.2. Selection Process .............................................................................................. 68 4.3.3. Difficulties Experienced by Young Women ....................................................... 72 4.4. Youth Entrepreneurship ........................................................................................... 73 4.4.1. Interest in and Opportunities for Youth Entrepreneurship ................................. 73 Altai Consulting - February 2016 YOUTH, EMPLOYMENT, MIGRATION IN MOGADISHU, 4 KISMAYO AND BAIDOA 4.4.2. Constraints and Difficulties ................................................................................ 74 5. DRIVERS OF IRREGULAR MIGRATION AMONGST YOUTH ................................... 76 5.1. Internal Movements .................................................................................................. 77 5.1.1. Internally Displaced Persons ............................................................................. 77 5.1.2. Internal Migrants ................................................................................................ 79 5.2. Irregular Migration .................................................................................................... 81 5.2.1. Profiles of Aspiring Migrants .............................................................................. 81 5.2.2. Push Factors ...................................................................................................... 83 5.3. Destinations and Pull Factors .................................................................................. 89 5.3.1. Europe ............................................................................................................... 90 5.3.2. Gulf Countries .................................................................................................... 91 5.3.3. African Countries ............................................................................................... 92 5.3.4. North America .................................................................................................... 92 5.4. Discouraging Factors ............................................................................................... 92 5.4.1. Price of the Journey ........................................................................................... 93 5.4.2. Dangers of the Journey ..................................................................................... 95 5.4.3. Awareness of Unsuccessful Migration Attempts ............................................... 97 5.4.4. Optimism for the Future ..................................................................................... 97 6. CONCLUSION: UNLOCKING SOLUTIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT .............. 99 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 99 6.1. Government Policies ................................................................................................ 99 6.2. Private Sector ......................................................................................................... 102 6.3. Decreasing the Risks Associated with Irregular Migration ..................................... 104 6.4. Future Fields of Research ...................................................................................... 105 ANNEXES ........................................................................................................................ 107 YOUTH, EMPLOYMENT, MIGRATION IN MOGADISHU, Altai Consulting - February 2016 KISMAYO AND BAIDOA 5 FIGURES Figure 1: Specific Obstacles to Study .................................................................................................. 29 Figure 2: Nature of the Obstacles .......................................................................................................