Deprivation among unemployed South African youth: intergenerational or transitional?

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Date
2013
Authors
Booysen, Desmond
Van Eeden, Amanda
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The troika of poverty, unemployment and inequality are hallmarks of the South African socio-economic landscape. With approximately one out of every four young people between the ages of 15 and 35 being employed, unemployment is a fact of life experienced by the majority of South African youth. This study sets out to explore this phenomenon, particularly whether the factors giving rise to youth unemployment are transitory or intergenerational in nature. The study is based on a sample of 3.236 unemployed youths originating from four provinces together with data extracted from a dedicated poverty survey conducted by Statistics South Africa from 2008 to 2009. Instead of focusing on the rather narrow income-poverty viewpoint, the study follows a multidimensional approach, using a range of social and material deprivation indicators to measure poverty. Results show that only transitory factors are significant in explaining the prevalence of deprivation among unemployed youths, suggesting that their poverty is temporary in nature. Of particular significance is the fact that provinces with quite disparate conventional poverty profiles displayed rather similar results in their range of material and social deprivations. In addition, the more prosperous provinces such as Gauteng performed worse than poorer provinces such as Limpopo and Eastern Cape. This research contributes to the National Development Plan vision for 2030, which recognises the issues of social security and supports an understanding of a minimum level of social protection. Among the study’s many recommendations is that certain components of the survey instruments be improved, that the role of households in mitigating against the ravages of poverty among the young be appreciated, and that state intervention to alleviate youth poverty be emphasised.
Afrikaans: Armoede, werkloosheid en ongelykheid is eie aan die Suid-Afrikaanse sosio-ekonomiese landskap. Gegewe dat slegs een uit elke vier jongmense tussen die ouderdom van 15 en 35 een of ander werk verrig, is werkloosheid onder die jeug aan die orde van die dag. Hierdie studie beoog om die studies rakende armoede onder die werklose jeug in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek en sal spesifiek bepaal of die faktore wat aanleiding gee tot werkloosheid, onder die jeug, transitief (verbygaande) van aard is en of dit van geslag (generasie) tot geslag (generasie) oorgedra word. Die studie is geskoei op data afkomstig van ʼn steekproef bestaande uit 3.236 werklose jongmense uit vier van die nege provinsies in die land. Die data is verkry van ʼn armoede-peiling deur Statistieke Suid-Afrika tydens 2008/2009. Die studie wyk af van die eng-gedefinieerde inkomstegebaseerde armoede studies en probeer om armoede vanuit ʼn multidimensionele oogpunt te beskou en aan die hand van ʼn reeks sosiale en materiële deprivasie- (onthoudings-) faktore te verduidelik. Resultate dui daarop dat slegs transitoriese faktore ʼn noemenswaardige rol speel om deprivasie onder werklose jongmense te verduidelik. Dit dui daarop dat armoede van verbygaande aard is en net tot ʼn spesifieke tydperk in die lewens van die jeug beperk is. ʼn Wesenlike uitvloei van die studie is dat provinsies met uiteenlopende armoede-profiele, groot ooreenkomste toon ten opsigte van ʼn aantal sosiale en materiële deprivasie veranderlikes. Die navorsing fokus op sosiale sekuriteit asook die minimum sosiale beskerming wat in die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan se visie vir 2030 aangespreek word. Voorstelle voortvloeiend uit die studie sluit onder meer in dat sekere dele van die armoede peilingsvraelys van Statistieke Suid-Afrika aangepas moet word, staatsgeleide ingryping om armoede onder die jeug te verlig beklemtoon moet word, en daar groter waardering moet wees vir die rol wat huishoudings speel om jeug-armoede die hoof te bied.
SeSotho: Bofutsana, ho hloka mosebetsi le ho se lekane ha batho ke dinthla tse kholo tsa phedisano le moruo oa Afrika Borwa ka bophara. Ka dipalopalo tse bontshang hore hara bacha ba bane ba dilemong tse tlohang ho 15 ho isa ho dilemo tse 35, a mong fela o na le mosebetsi, ho oa bontsha hore ho hloka mosebetsi ke bothata bo boholo hara bacha ba naha ea Afrika Borwa. Thuto ena e ipapisitse le sampole ea bacha ba 3236 ba se nang mesebetsiba tsoang diprofensing tse nne ka palo ha mmoho le pokello tsa tsebiso ka bofutsana tse tsoang di offising tsa dipalopalo Afrika Borwa, selemong sa 2008 ho isa ho sa 2009. Ntle le ho shebana le leside la mokholo tsabeng tsa bofutsana, thuto ena e shebana le dikarolo tse ngata moo ho sebelisong dithulusi tsa ho metha bofutsana ka hara naha. Sephetho sa ditaba tsena se bontsha diketsahalo tse etsahalang ha nako e ntse e ya pele e le tsona tse leng bohlokoa ho hlalosa kaho ea ditlhoko hara bacha ba sechaba ba se nang mesebetsi, ho bontshang bofutsana e se ntho ea ho fihlela le ho fihlela. Se bohlokoa hlokoa ke hore diporofensi tse nang le bofutsana tse bongata di bontshitse di na le ditlhoko tse tsoanang tsa sechaba. Difrofensi tse nang le buruo nyana joalo ka Gauteng, di bontshitse di na le bofokodi ba dithloko bo fetang tse nang le bofutsana joalo ka Limpopo le Eastern Cape. Thuto ena e sebelletsa ho kenya tsebo ea eona ho National Development Plan ea selemo sa 2030 e shebanang le mathata a bululo bo phethahetseng e ngoe ea tse ngata ea thuto ena ke hore mekhoa ea ho fumana mohlodi oa pokello e lokisoe le hore bofutsana ba bacha bo loantsoe ka malapeng, le hore mmuso u thuse bacha ba futsaneileng.
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Keywords
Poverty, Inequality, Youth, Unemployment in South Africa
Citation
Booysen, D., & Van Eeden, A. (2013). Deprivation among unemployed South African youth: Intergenerational or transitional?. Town and Regional Planning, 63(1).