Abstract
The study examined the challenges of youth unemployment in Oredo local government area. The objective of the study was to examine the challenges of youth unemployment in Oredo local government area; to assess government effect in reducing youth employment in Oredo local government area; to explore solutions to reduce youth unemployment in Oredo local government area and to examine the relationship between youth unemployment and the rate of crime in Nigeria.
The cross sectional research design was adopted for this study. 250 copies of questionnaire were distributed to respondents in Oredo local government area, Benin City. Data collected were analyzed using frequency count, percentages, and mean with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 24.0.
The empirical result revealed that respondents agreed that Nigerian youth face multiple challenges, including poverty, unemployment, and underemployment; and that there is increased inequality and the lack of job opportunities in various sectors. The study recommend that Government should intensify efforts to address socio-economic deprivation and create jobs to halt the spread of social unrest resulting from youth unemployment and that there should be more infrastructural development, creation of jobs and new economic empowerment opportunities.
Keywords: unemployment, youth employment, challenges, empowerment
