YouthEmploymentPolicyBrief:Afghanistan
Inclusive growth for youth
QuickFacts
Population:29.82million(2012)
Shareofyouth(1524yearsold)
2
intotalpopulation:55.3%
2
Totalunemploymentrate:7.1%
2
Youthunemploymentrate:12%
Youthlabourforceparticipation
2 2009).Youngpeopletendtooccupytemporaryandprecariouspositions(63.8percent)
rate:60.26%
1 andworkasdailylabourers(17.6percent)becauseofthelackofeducation,skills,and
GDPin2011:US$18.03billion
1
GDPgrowthin2012:2.2%
Majorindustries:Agriculture
2
andServices(Transportation)
Since1934Afghanistanhas
ratified19ILOConventions
includingthesefiveILOCore
Conventions:
Convention100Equal
RemunerationConvention
Convention105Abolitionof
ForcedLabourConvention
Convention111Discrimination
(employmentandoccupation)
Convention138MinimumAge
Convention
Convention182WorstForms
ofChildLabourConvention
Sources:(1)WorldBank;(2)NationalRisk
and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA)
2007/2008reports
APYouthNet
1|
September 2013
Afternearlythreedecadesofcontinuousconflict,theIslamicRepublicofAfghanistan
hasbecomeoneofthepoorestcountriesintheworld.Theinternationalcommunityhas
been actively involved in the countrys reconstruction but the future of the Afghan
economyisuncertain.Asforeigntroopswithdrawin2014thecountryislikelytoface
severeeconomicturmoilbecausethetotalamountofaidgiventothecountryin2010
2011wasapproximatelyUS$15.7billion,almost90percentofthetotalGDPin2011(ILO,
2012).Afghanistanhastheworldsfastestgrowingpopulationrateof2.8percent,anda
rapid rise in the youth population (Linda Lavender, 2011). Afghanistans youth face
challengesrelatedtounemploymentandlowwages.Thesecouldleadthemtoworkfor
the narcotics industry, illegally armed groups and terrorist organizations. Therefore,
youthemploymentisakeyconcerninthedevelopmentandstabilityofAfghansociety.
YouthUnemploymentandUnderemployment
1
Asmorethan400,000youngpeopleenterthejobmarketannually,Afghanistanhasan
increasing need to generate employment opportunities (ILO, 2012). According to the
National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA) 2007/2008 report, Afghanistans
youth unemployment rate was 10 per cent for young men and 15 per cent for young
women,significantlyhigherthanthenationalunemploymentrateof7.1percent(NRVA,
experienceandthelimitedjobopportunitiesavailableinthecommunity(ILO,2012).
YoungWomen
ThesituationofAfghangirlsisofparticularconcern.Traditionalpressures,suchasearly
marriage,makethemmorelikelytodropoutofschool,whichinturnmakesitdifficult
tofinddecentjobs.Womenearn51percentlessthanmeninnonfarmoccupationsand
Afghanistansemploymenttopopulationratio(aged1564years)showsalargegender
difference: 80 per cent for males and 43 per cent for females (ILO, 2012). Moreover,
young, educated women (18 per cent) are approximately twice as likely to be
unemployedasyoung,educatedmen(8percent).
LabourMigration
ManyyoungAfghanistanmenfindemploymentinneighboringcountriessuchasIran,
Tajikistan,andPakistan(IOM).Theygenerallyconsiderbecomingmigrantworkersasan
attractiveemploymentoptionbecausetheycanexpectmoreincomeandacquirenew
marketable skills from migration. However, it becomes less profitable due to rapidly
declining currencies and tightening immigration controls in the neighboring countries
(ILO,2013).Sincemostofthemcrosstheborderwithoutlegaldocumentationandare
unawareoflabourlawsandtheirrightsduetothelackofinstitutionalframeworkfor
labourmigration,theyareindangerofexploitation.
ChildLabour
InAfghanistantherearestillmanychildrenworkingillegallyeventhoughthelegalage
ofemploymentis15.UNICEFandtheGovernmentofAfghanistanestimatedthat13per
centofAfghanchildren(agedbetween6and15)work(UNICEF,2010).Childrenworkin
agricultureinruralareasandinsmallmanufacturingcompanies,restaurantsandshops
in urban areas. Due to their early participation in economic activities the children are
deprivedofopportunitiestodeveloptheskillsandknowledgethatcanallowthemto
findbetterqualityjobs.
Afghanistan(YouthEmploymentPolicyBrief,September2013)
EducationandSkillsDevelopment
The Government of Afghanistan aims to develop the skills of young people
throughTechnicalandVocationalEducationandTraining(TVET)aswellasfocused,
functional,literacytraining.Technicalandvocationaleducationatsecondarylevel
inpublicinstitutionshasseena10foldincreaseinthelastfiveyearsbutithasnot
beenaccompaniedbyimprovementinqualityoftrainingdelivered.Employersstill
findthatthereisamismatchbetweenthedemandandsupplyofskilledworkers.
ILO

GovernmentPriorities
TheAfghanistanNationalDevelopmentStrategy(ANDS)aimstofosterasenseof References
confidenceamongtheyoungthattheycancontributetoandbenefitfromastable
andprosperouscountry.Toassistyouthextensivereformshavebeenintroduced ILO,2012,Afghanistan:Time
in the education sector, which include expansion of the education system and tomovetoSustainableJobs
StudyontheStateof
reforms to vocational education. In 2013 the President approved Afghanistans EmploymentinAfghanistan
firstNationalYouthPolicywith11interventionplanstotackleAfghanistansyouth
employmentcrisis.
AfghanistanNational
Development
TheUNandYouthinAfghanistan Strategy(ANDS)20082013
28 United Nations (UN) agencies and international organizations work on the
economic, social and cultural reconstruction of Afghanistan under the Uinted GovernmentofAfghanistan,
NationsDevelopmentAssistanceFrameworkandUNESCO,WorldBankandILO 2009,NationalRiskand
VulnerabilityAssessment
activelyrunprojectsonyouthemployment.
(NRVA)2007/2008
TheILOinAfghanistan

The ILO seeks to promote decent work as a major contributing factor towards ILO,2010,AfghanistanDecent
post conflict recovery in Afghanistan. As of September 2013, the ILO runs four WorkCountryProgramme
projects in the country with a total budget of US $1,753,171, including the 20102015
Strengthening Labour Administration in Afghanistan and Studies on Afghan
CompetitivenessforJobCreationAgriculturalValueChains. ILO,2013,Assessmentof
livelihoodopportunitiesfor
PolicyandProgrammeRecommendations returnees/internallydisplaced
personsandhostcommunities
As part of the United Nations SystemWide Action Plan on Youth and inAfghanistan
Afghanistans National Youth Policy, the ILO could participate in the following
activities. UnitedNationsDevelopment
AssistanceFramework2010
Developingareliablelabourmarketdataandinformationsystemonyouth 2013
employment.
Buildingemploymentservicesandcentersforyouth. LindaLavender,2011,The
Developingademanddriven,coordinatedandinclusiveTVETsystem. YouthBulgeinAfghanistan:
Providing entrepreneurship skills development programmes to promote ChallengesandOpportunities
youthentrepreneurship.
Strengthening the capacity of the social partners and promoting tripartite Moreinformationisavailable
solutionsforyouthemploymentatthelocallevel. atwww.ilo.org,kilm.ilo.org
Advocating for a national policy on youth employment and promoting
mainstreamingofyouthissuesintotheNationalEmploymentProgramme.
Providing information sessions and trainings on migration for youths and
supportingthecreationalegalmigrationsystemtopreventexploitationof
theAfghanworkersabroad.

Thispolicybriefwaspreparedby:

ILORegionalOfficeforAsiaandthePacificYouthEmploymentProgramme
APYouthNet UNBuilding,11thFloor,RajdamnernNokAvenue,Bangkok10200,Thailand
Email:BANGKOK@ilo.org
http://www.apyouthnet.ilo.org
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