Investigating the effects of youth unemployment on national economic growth and development

Youth unemployment is a worldwide concern that provides a major challenge to national economic growth and development processes. Specifically, elevated levels of youth unemployment deter social stability, productivity, and economic potential. It is vital to better understand the contextual elements associated with understanding youth unemployment to develop solid policies that can lead to economically sustainable growth. The investigation is aimed at examining youth unemployment and its linkages to national economic growth and development. The research process seeks to root causes of youth unemployment, assess its economic challenges, and aim toward an outcome that includes some policy suggestions to reduce youth unemployment. Quantitative data was collected from international databases on youth unemployment, Gross Domestic Product Growth (GDPG) trends, and poverty measures. Qualitative data was collected from policy documents, interview data with experts in the field, and case research drawn from selected countries. A mixed-methods approach was applied and an SPSS software package version 29.0 was used. Both Multiple Linear Regression analyses (MLR) and Pearson Correlation Analyses (PCA) were carried out to determine the association between economic growth and youth unemployment. Factor analysis was implemented to capture qualitative themes associated with understanding causes and effects in youth unemployment. The resulting quantitative findings are reported in terms of qualitative themes. The quantitative analysis revealed a strong negative relationship between GDP growth and youth unemployment, highlighting significant economic and social consequences. Factor analysis identified key factors such as skill mismatches, Youth Unemployment Rates (YUR), Government Policy Inefficient (GPI), Poverty Rates (PR), Social Instability (SI), Effective Policies (EP), GDP Growth (GDPG) and Government Policy Inefficiency (GPI). Addressing youth unemployment is vital for sustainable economic development. Policies promoting education-to-employment transitions, skill development, and job creation are recommended to mitigate its adverse effects.