Lusaka, Zambia 06th October 2010 (ABN) – Zambia’s youth unemployment level has continued to soar with over 2,500 pupils each year completing secondary school education with no hope of finding a decent job in the formal sector.

Zambia has three national and four private universities but most students fail to enter university due to financial difficulties and stiff competition which normally render them to source for employment in order to raise funds to finance higher education.

“Government needs to empower youths with skills but if we have youths completing school without getting employment where are we headed to as a country,” said Yusouf Dodia Chairman of Private Sector Development Association PSDA who added his voice to national wide concern of unemployment rise.

He stressed the need for government to boost investment that will create employment to youths as doing so would help to activate productivity in the country that would strengthen the country’s economic system.

Zambia is among certain countries in Southern Africa still struggling to reduced rising numbers of unemployment in both formal and informal sector though authorities play down soaring numbers of unemployment to let it appear less.

According to Zambia’s Central Statistics Office CSO a wing charged with the responsibilities of releasing official figures unemployment currently stands at about 17 per cent at national level a figure many institutions dispute.

Among university graduates in Zambia very few will have opportunities to find stable employment soon after graduating a situation that has led many students especially those studying abroad to remain for greener pastures.

Daniel Tonga