Tunisia: Understanding Conflict 2012 - Johns Hopkins School of ...

Despite these positive forecasts, the barriers facing unskilled laborers will
continue to persist. In comparison to holders of university degrees, unskilled laborers
have turnover rates of over fifty percent. Irregular and temporary positions not only make
them more vulnerable to be unemployed but they also earn 25% to 40% less than those
who are permanent. Moreover, those who have not completed secondary school have a
rate of labor force participation of only 68%, while graduates hold a staggering rate of
95%. The unskilled labor market is also the most susceptible to changes in the economy.
As a result, programs such as professional development and training for unskilled labor
are critical to help them move towards higher-skilled jobs and services.
Tunisian Skilled Labor Market
In the past two decades there has been an increase in youth labor market participation.
Many of them are new university graduates who are entering into the labor market for the
first time. However, on average university graduates have higher rates of unemployment
compared to those that have not completed secondary education. (Figure 1 & Figure 2)
Figure 1: Unemployment by Level of Education in Tunisia
Source: (Lahcen Achy, December 2011): The author’s calculations are based on
the data released by the Tunisian National Institute of Statistics. The
unemployment rate is measured on the left hand side axis.
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