Jobs for youth in fragile transitions: Ethiopia’s Youth Revolving Fund

Abstract

Ethiopia’s high-level of population growth is contributing to an acute problem of youth unemployment. A lack of jobs and dissatisfaction about future opportunities were partly the reasons for the game-changing youth protests in the country. In an attempt to dampen the protests, the Government of Ethiopia introduced a new job creation scheme – the Youth Revolving Fund (YRF) in 2017, which largely has failed in creating sustainable employment opportunities and improving the lives of the youth.