Why Zimbabwe's Youth Are Struggling to Find Jobs

Across the country, young people continue to face difficulties securing stable jobs, raising concerns about the economy's ability to absorb new entrants into the labour market.

The challenge is not simply that young people lack qualifications. It is also about the limited availability of formal employment, the nature of economic opportunities and the gap between education and the demands of the labour market.

The Unemployment Figures Tell a Difficult Story

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT), its Second Quarter 2025 Labour Force Survey recorded an unemployment rate of 39.3 percent among young people aged 15–24 and 28.9 percent among those aged 15–35.

The survey also found that approximately 49.2 percent of young people aged 15–35 were not in employment, education or training.

This means millions of young people are facing difficulties accessing opportunities that would allow them to earn an income, develop professional experience or further their education.

1. Limited Formal Employment Opportunities

One of the biggest challenges is the limited number of formal jobs available compared with the number of people seeking employment.

Every year, universities, colleges and vocational institutions produce graduates with qualifications in engineering, accounting, education, business, information technology and other fields.

However, the availability of suitable vacancies does not always match the number of people entering the labour market.

In the Second Quarter of 2025, ZIMSTAT recorded approximately 1.14 million people in formal employment, representing 35.8 percent of the employed population. Meanwhile, 58.5 percent were working in the informal sector.

This highlights a major challenge: having a job does not necessarily mean having access to stable employment, predictable earnings or benefits such as paid leave and pension contributions.

2. The Gap Between Education and the Job Market

Another challenge is the relationship between academic qualifications and the practical skills employers require.

A qualification can demonstrate knowledge, but employers may also look for practical experience, technical competence, communication skills, problem-solving abilities and familiarity with workplace systems.

ZIMSTAT's 2026 thematic report on Education and the Labour Market, based on the 2025 Second Quarter Labour Force Survey, found that unemployment was highest among people with secondary education, at 23.6 percent.

Among young people aged 16–25 with secondary education, the unemployment rate reached 39.7 percent.

The report also identified qualification mismatches across occupations, including overqualification among people working in elementary occupations.

This suggests that improving access to education must go hand in hand with creating opportunities where acquired skills can be used productively.

3. The Experience Barrier Facing Graduates

For many graduates, the job search presents a frustrating contradiction: employers want experience, but obtaining that experience requires an opportunity to work.

Entry-level vacancies sometimes demand previous experience, professional certifications or specialised skills that recent graduates have not yet had the opportunity to develop.

Internships, apprenticeships and graduate trainee programmes can help bridge this gap. However, access to these opportunities remains an important challenge for young people competing for limited positions.

Employers also need to recognise the potential of graduates and provide structured opportunities for them to develop workplace experience.

4. The Growth of Informal Employment

When formal employment is difficult to secure, many young people turn to entrepreneurship, vending, online businesses, freelance work, agriculture, transport and other informal activities.

These activities can provide important sources of income and create opportunities for self-employment.

However, informal work does not always provide stable earnings, social protection, access to affordable financing or long-term career progression.

Zimbabwe's labour market therefore faces a challenge beyond unemployment: ensuring that people who are working can access productive and decent employment.

5. Limited Opportunities Outside Major Cities

Access to employment opportunities is also influenced by geographical location.

Young people living in smaller towns and rural communities may have fewer employers, training institutions and professional networks within reach.

Many opportunities are concentrated in major urban centres, particularly Harare and Bulawayo, forcing some job seekers to relocate or spend money travelling to attend interviews and recruitment processes.

This creates additional barriers for young people who cannot afford the costs associated with relocating or searching for employment in distant cities.

6. Entrepreneurship Is Important, but It Cannot Solve Everything

Young people are increasingly encouraged to start businesses instead of depending entirely on formal employment.

Entrepreneurship can create income, support innovation and generate employment for others. However, starting a sustainable business requires access to capital, markets, infrastructure, business knowledge and a supportive operating environment.

It is unrealistic to expect every unemployed graduate to become an entrepreneur simply because formal jobs are scarce.

Entrepreneurship should complement job creation, not replace the responsibility of building an economy capable of providing productive employment opportunities.

What Needs to Change?

Addressing youth unemployment requires coordinated action from Government, the private sector, educational institutions and young people themselves.

Educational institutions need stronger links with employers to ensure that training programmes respond to changing industry requirements.

Businesses should expand internships, apprenticeships and graduate recruitment programmes, while giving young people opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.

Government policies should support investment, industrial growth, local production and the expansion of businesses capable of creating sustainable employment.

There is also a need to improve access to affordable financing, technology and markets for young entrepreneurs.

Under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), covering 2026–2030, employment and inclusive economic growth remain important development priorities. The real test will be how effectively these priorities translate into measurable opportunities for ordinary Zimbabweans.

Conclusion: A Qualification Should Open Doors, Not Lead to Endless Waiting

Zimbabwe's youth employment challenge cannot be solved by telling young people to work harder, acquire more certificates or start businesses without addressing the wider economic conditions.

Young people need an economy that creates opportunities, rewards skills and allows individuals to build sustainable careers.

The country has invested in educating and training its young population. The next challenge is ensuring that this human capital is absorbed into productive sectors of the economy.

A generation cannot build its future on qualifications alone. It needs opportunities to put those qualifications to work.

Zimbabwe's youth do not simply need more certificates. They need an economy that can turn their education, skills and ambitions into meaningful employment.

By Simba Zimunya