THE CAUSES, EFFECT AND SOLUTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN DELTA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the delta state urban and rural communities, a steady increase in unemployment has been observed. It is not an overstatement if we say the unemployment is the highest social problem in the country. it is one of the major societal evil which beset the citizen in their efforts to achieve their life goals. No wonder Akerele (1997) sees unemployment as situations which arise when an employable individual is actively unsuccessfully seeking for work.
Unemployment according to the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD) is probably the most widely feared phenomenon of our time. This phenomenon of unemployment is the tendency for able, qualified and willing citizen of any country to the international labour organization (ILO) is one who is without work, is prepare to work at present or current market wage rate and is actively searching for work.
A person is also said to be unemployed when he or she is able and willing to work but does not have work. In delta state, over 65% of her labour forces are facing unemployment problem .according to Aigbokiahn (1995), unemployment is a situation in which people that are actively seeking jobs but are not able to secure one. This problem may be viewed as one of most concern to individual member of this country and was recognized since independent in 1960 till date.

Unemployment can be noted, however, that existing unemployment situation creates problems, suffering, hardship and anxieties which have lasting effects on the mind of the people the beginning of this unemployment crisis could be linked to the foundation of colonial education system and the failure to reform it in the post independent period. This is as a result of the fact that present education system is still as descriptive as in colonial educational system. The unemployment provision offered by an economy can gauge its performance, becomes one of the major objective of any society is to achieve full employment. Again fully, employed labour force and an active population have high potentials to contribute to the growth and development of a national output for the promotion of the economy. The income derived as kemeration to labour complemented by social programme on food, shelter, health and education enhance the standard of living of workers.
Economic development is targeting at people hence, the issue of population employment, unemployment; underdevelopment t and economic development are closely related. The existence of high unemployment in any given country becomes a source of concern to policy makers as well as the general citizenry. This is becomes high unemployment means that the economy is throwing away output by failing to put her people at work.
The success of any employment strategy to a large extent depends on the appropriateness or otherwise of the program and policies that are put in place to effect on both demand and supply of labour (ILO 1996).

Furthermore in this study, effort is made to look into the causes, effects of and solution to unemployment as a problem in delta state and it could also be described as situation whereby the labour force is temporarily, the emphasis is on the able bodied persons hence, those who are disabled are completely eliminated.
With the personal observation, the researcher find out that unemployment is as a result of low rate of industrialization, wide spread of illiteracy, preference of poor capital formation and poor utilization of available resources. This problem could be attributes to poor utilization of natural resource and the view of the economic planners. From the discussion above, there is no doubt that unemployment in delta state has same effect which can be identified.