THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO COMBINED SECOND TO EIGHTH PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN
CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS AND INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE
AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA
reaching an all-time high of 39.30 percent in 1997 and a record low of 24.44 percent in
2013. According to according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts
expectations unemployment rate is expected to rise to about 26.27 percent at the end of
2018 and to drop to 19.50 percent by 2020.
Unemployment rate in Lesotho
28
27.42
27.5
27
26.52
26.5
26
25.5
25.63
25.3
25.21
24.77
25
24.71
24.44
24.5
24.64
24
23.5
23
22.5
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
Series 1
Source: Trendingeconomics.com (ILO)
151. In an effort to mitigate the challenge of unemployment amongst the youth in Lesotho, in
2009, the Ministry of Gender in collaboration with UNDP began a National Volunteer Core
Program. It is meant to collect information and create a database of youth who have
completed certificate, diploma or degree from any tertiary institution which have not been
employed. They are then attached to a relevant ministry or government department and
private sector for a period of year during which the government provides them with a small
stipend for transport and basic food they need while on internship. The objective of the
program is to equip the youth with work experiment and to entice them to love their
country. The challenge is that due to financial constraints the program can only
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