Overlooked and Underpaid - Arab Youth in Today's Economy

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Sitting in limbo is where many young Arabs find themselves today. Nearly a quarter of Arabs under 30 are jobless. Long gone are the days of a guaranteed government gig, and the private sector is far from filling the gap. Today, Arab youth are searching for work and waiting for weddings. Some just want to leave the region – and its long unemployment lines – altogether. At best, unemployment and flagging Arab economies lead to a generation of bored and frustrated youth. At worst, economic conditions create a breeding ground for extremism and instability. 

Executive Producer: Aaron Lobel / AAM Producers: Monica Bushman, Sean Carberry, Jordana Gustafson, Matt Ozug, Chris Williams / Web Producer: Javier Barrera / Photo: Sean Carberry. Host: Deborah Amos

Jordan

+ Field Report From Yemen

Sean Carberry travels to Yemen to examine dire employment prospects for young people and the challenges of draining the pool of potential terrorist recruits.

Story Transcript: FIELD REPORT FROM YEMEN.pdf

+ Field Report From Jordan

Jordana Gustafson reports from Jordan on the state of the country’s educational system and why college graduates there find themselves searching several years for employment.

Story Transcript: FIELD REPORT FROM JORDAN.pdf

+ Field Report From Morocco

Sean Carberry travels to Morocco to explore how economic conditions are causing a delay in marriage and shifts in social and sexual customs.

Story Transcript: FIELD REPORT FROM MOROCCO.pdf

+ Lebanese Immigrants In The United States

Deborah Amos and Monica Bushman examine factors that drive so many young people to leave Lebanon and how Lebanese immigrants are faring in the United States.

+ The Economic And Social Challenges Young Arabs Face

Deborah Amos speaks with Samantha Constant, Associate Director of the Middle East Youth Initiative at the Wolfensohn Center for Development, about the economic and social challenges young Arabs face.

Supported By:

The National Endowment for the Humanities

Mediaspace