Mexico Economy: Youth without Work or Studies Curb the Progress of Mexico

Translated by MexicoBlog

CNN Mexico: "Mexico has the third largest proportion of unemployed youth aged 15 to 29 years according to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). Youth in Mexico who neither study nor work is a phenomenon that not only affects the economy and the development of education, but could generate a lack of social dynamism and low human dignity, say specialists.

"The 'Ninis' can become a problem of social implosion, and at some point a problem of politics and governability," said political analyst Sabino Bastidas. To not help these young people is to facilitate the decline in the active labor force that had the opportunity to "bring an historic shift to Mexico but instead contributed nothing." The so-called 'demographic dividend', as the high number of young people of productive age is known, is being 'thrown overboard'," said Bastidas.

Mexico has 36.2 million young people, which equals 32% of the population,according to the National Youth Survey 2010. On average, according to an OECD report released in September, one in four young Mexicans does not study or work, which means that about seven million do not perform any productive activity.

"We have teachers who are not trained, ... and we don't have the necessary schools; the quality of the schools is in last place," said Sabino, who acknowledged that there is already broad educational coverage, but the challenge is to promote quality.

In his Fifth Government Report (like the U.S. President's State of the Union address), President Felipe Calderón highlighted that in Mexico there is universal coverage for primary school education. However, coverage in middle school is 68% and for high school it is only 32.4%." Spanish original