In Africa, rising youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb

In Africa, rising youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb

One out of three young Africans is unemployed, and the youth population will double by 2050. How can Africa create jobs for the young and avoid unrest? A man holds a poster marking South Africa’s Youth Day holiday in Soweto, South Africa, 16 June 2020. (AP...

Marshaling official reports and authoritative data, correspondent Stella Mapenzauswa lifts the lid on one of Africa’s biggest challenges – youth unemployment. On a continent as large and diverse as Africa, it can be perilous to generalize across borders, but Mapenzauswa puts her finger on a problem that threatens numerous governments and societies there. Not satisfied with merely identifying the problem, the experienced journalist from southern Africa glimpses a solution in “hustling” – young Africans using whatever skills they have to earn money as entrepreneurs. Some of the best journalism identifies both problems and solutions.

Exercise: Ask your students to identify a critical problem facing their local community, assessing its economic and social impact, and then to list possible solutions and the attendant costs.

Decoder: Why a young person should not ignore the stock market

Decoder: Why a young person should not ignore the stock market

On any day, the stock market can go up or down. But in the long run, a young person cannot afford to ignore the chance to invest in company shares. The effect of compound interest, with an initial investment of $1,000 and 20% annual interest, compounded at various...

Alan Wheatley’s article on stock markets touches on concepts of tremendous long-term importance to young people, such as compounded interest and interest rates. Wheatley has decades of experience covering international finance, and it shows as he connects investing fundamentals with economic growth and the current U.S. political situation. The article finishes with questions that can be taken up in a wide range of classrooms: Who would be better for stock markets — Trump or Biden? If you have $1,000, should you spend or save it? And why is Wall Street near a record high during the coronavirus pandemic? With Wheatley explaining matters, there’s no reason why economics should be “the dismal science”!

China’s millennials: They will impact all of us

China’s millennials: They will impact all of us

There are more millennials in China than the entire population of the U.S. and Canada. Whatever your interest, these young Chinese will impact you. Members of the China Olympic Team at the opening ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, 8 August 2008 (AP...

Tag: millennials