UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS AMONGST GRADUATES OF HIGHER INSTITUTIONS (A CASE STUDY OF ENUGU METROPOLIS)

ABSTRACT
In this research, it is assumed that unemployment is a factor inherent in the
nation’s economic system, first because intentionally or unintentionally the policymakers
do not deliberately resort to measures capable of reducing unemployment
to acceptable level. This research is concerned with wages and means of
denitrifying the causes and measures of curbing the problem created by
unemployment. To do this, this research will specifically investigate the incidence
if unemployment among graduates of institution of higher learning in Enugu State
and to determine what factors are responsible for or that affect unemployment.
The researcher distributed (200) two hundred questionnaires to the respondent
and collected (170) one hundred and seventy. Data were collected from
unemployed graduates the data extracted from the questionnaire from the
validation of research hypothesis were subjected to chi-square test statistics. And
at the end of the research work, some possible recommendation where made like,
establishment of more industries should be provided in order to absorb our
unemployed graduates and conclusion were made in order to tackle the problems
of unemployment amongst the graduates of higher institution in Enugu State.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
This chapter provides a broad overview of the employment
situation in graduate s which is a major concern of government
and their social partner throughout the region. Theapproach is
rather general and highlights major issues concerning
employment problems and prospects in the region. Because of
data limitation, it does not attempt a comprehensive and
quantitative analysis of the employment situation. it brings with
an examination of the employment problems, including
background information on its origin and trends, and then looks
at the nature and underlying causes of contemporary
unemployment. Unemployment of a large portion of the labor
force is a central problem now in almost all the underdeveloped
countries.
The phenomenon of chronic unemployment has become the
major concern of successive Nigerian government. The
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phenomenon of joblessness creates much concern for the
individual Nigerians. According to the 1966 – 67 manpower
surveys in Nigeria, the proportion of the labour force in Nigeria
not working is 1 – 7 percent, which means that nearly two of
every one hundred member of the potential labor are
unemployed.
Unemployment has thus reached such an alarming situation
today that is perhaps considered the most serious of the problem
affecting Nigeria and one that is steadily worsening as the gap
between the rapid rising member pressing for work and the new
employment opportunities being created widens.
In the underdeveloped countries such as Nigeria however
employment benefits are not available to the unemployed. the
income level of the great majority of families makes the provision
of unemployment benefits virtually impossible thus those unable
to find jobs or these discharged from their previous employments
re left to fend for themselves. in under developed countries
majority of job seekers are therefore forced to create
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employment for themselves particularly in the rural agricultural
sectors where they force disguised unemployment. in the context
of this study both those who are disguised unemployment. in the
context of this study both those who are disguisedly unemployed
and those who are openly unemployed are lumped together as
the unemployed.
thus unemployment is define briefly as the negative aspect of the
economic process for an unemployed person is one who despite
his willingness and capacity to work is unable to do so for reasons
inherent in the organization of the commodity production.
1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PPROBLEMS
Unemployment rates are particularly high among graduate and
especially among school leaves, giving rise increasingly to the
problems of “educated unemployment”. paradoxically, graduate
unemployment seems to be correlated with levels of education
attained in some cases. This is particularly true for school leavers
in, for example, Nigeria where the proportion of the unemployed
with secondary education increased from 24 to 51 percent
between 1974 and 1985. graduate employment rates are
probably 3 – 4 times higher than those of older workers, and in
many countries in the region open unemployment among
graduate as a group in the labour could be as 40 – 50 percent.
Moreover, graduate s and new entrants to the labour force are as
well placed as experienced workers to find employment in new
opportunities or to go into self employment. The problems of
graduate unemployment reflect the contraction of jobs in the
modern sector and declining rate of job creation in that sector. It
also suggests serious labour market distortions related to the
development and utilization of human resources in the context
of changing economic circumstances. further, the problem of
graduate unemployment is linked to the fact of many African
countries, as already noted, continue to record relatively high
rates of population growth, and the population structure of some
of those countries is overwhelmingly young will children of school
going age accounting for as much as half of the total population
in some cases.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
Unemployment has become a current and a current universal
problem in Nigeria. The impact presently has been felt by 80% of
Nigerian’s families. The efforts of our government to curb it are
inadequate or misdirected, so positive results are not yet in sight.
Unemployment has brought hardship and object poverty to many
families. The level of adult dependency has increased, so the rate
of saving in our economy is declining. The problem has also led to
increase in crime waves and rates. All these could spell doom for
the nation. It is deemed fit to embark on this study as a
contribution towards the eradication of the problems of
unemployment and its accompanying problems and hardship to
the individual and in general.
Our primary motive of carrying out this study were born of the
desire to contribute in any meaningful way the idea of how the
glowing rate of unemployment in Nigeria can be dealt with in
order to reduce its social and other consequences especially on
our leaders of tomorrow to at least a minimum.