A study on the labour market in Tunisia carried out on 500 job seekers, registered in the employment offices of the regions of Mahdia, Medenine, Sfax and Tataouine, showed that 66% of them failed to find a job, especially those with less than 4 years of work experience.
Presented Thursday during a restitution workshop held in Tunis, the results of this study carried out by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Tunisia, revealed that 55.1% of the people questioned expressed intention to find administrative employment commensurate with their degree, with a decent salary.
However, the study showed that the main obstacles related to access to the labour market are related to university degrees (in particular the bachelor's degree), lack of professional experience and lack of job offers and poor working conditions.
Despite the difficulties in finding a job, the study revealed that 17% of job seekers received job offers last year, but they refused to work because of low wages.
Speaking to TAP, Director General of Foreign Employment at the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, Ahmed Messaoudi, stressed that the study contributed to identifying labour market needs and obstacles.
The study included a set of recommendations of this study, namely the creation of a monitoring unit to follow the evolution of the labour market in Tunisia and abroad, so as to adapt and direct human resources according to domestic and foreign market needs.
Regarding the main countries identified by the study as attractive destinations for Tunisian skills, Messaoudi said that Europe represents the first destination for the Tunisian workforce, in particular France, Italy and Germany followed by Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, then North America, notably Canada.
The study also highlighted the main employing sectors in Tunisia, such as construction and public works, agriculture, fishing, wholesale and retail trade, as well as textile and clothing.
Head of the migration and development department within the IOM in Tunisia, Brendan Kelly, told TAP that this study represents an essential means to help young Tunisians to integrate into professional life.
"Through this study carried out in collaboration with several public institutions, IOM intends to support the efforts of the Tunisian government to reduce unemployment among young people and identify the characteristics of the labour market," he said.
The study is part of the "Helma" project aimed at reintegrating young people at risk of irregular migration, implemented by IOM in partnership with the Ministries of Employment and Vocational Training and Youth and Sports and funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is also part of the programme "for a comprehensive approach to the governance of migration and labour mobility in North Africa (THAMM), funded by the European Union.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse