A report by the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) says that 60 percent of job seekers in the state turn down jobs due to low pay.
The report, which is a recently released a labor market survey for the half-year 2024, reveals that 26 percent of job seekers reject jobs because they are too far away from home, while 15 percent turn down offers because they seem boring.
“While education can be a barrier to employment, it is rarely mentioned as a reason for rejecting job offers,” the report says.
The report, done in collaboration with the Ministry of Wealth Creation & Employment and the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget in Lagos, focuses on the indicators affecting labour supply and labour demand.
The purpose of the report is to create a data-driven approach to identify education gaps in the state and conditions affecting employment and re-employment for stakeholders. The report is also meant to understand the intricacies of the job problem and develop appropriate measures to reduce unemployment in the state.
This report relied on data collected from 23,290 students (including undergraduates and postgraduates) across various institutions, including vocational centres and tertiary institutions in Lagos State from January 31, 2023, to March 31, 2024.
In addition, about 47,000 jobseekers were also sampled during the period. The data were collected using questionnaires.
The report reveals that the main reasons job seekers struggle to re-enter the job market include: lack of work experience, mismatch between their education and job requirements, as well as discrimination based on gender, disability, race and appearance.
The report notes that 20 percent of job seekers face discrimination, noting that these people “are particularly affected because they don’t get fair chances to be considered for jobs, even if they are qualified.”
The report further says that gender affects the challenges of finding work again in Lagos, noting that women often struggle because their education doesn’t match job requirements. It says that men are more held back by a lack of work experience.
The report shows that young male jobseekers struggle with inadequate work experience, unsuitable educational qualifications and discrimination.
Similarly, young female jobseekers face mismatched education, insufficient experience and discrimination. Both genders also deal with inadequate skills and overqualification.
“Gender gap exists in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies for post-graduate students in Lagos.
“Only a third of jobseekers in Lagos State have degree certificates and work experience. No less than two in three jobseekers have at least a senior secondary school certificate, highlighting the relevance of higher educational qualification to enhance jobseekers’ competitiveness,” the report says.
It finds that nearly half of all jobseekers (18 -64 years) in Lagos are new to the job market, notably about 60 percent of young job seekers.
“Primary drivers of unemployment in Lagos include economic factors such as low salaries amidst a rising cost of living; inconvenient job location, and education gaps,” the report notes.
“The major barriers to re-entering employment for jobseekers are inadequate work experience, lack of skills in-demand, and discriminatory prejudices.”
The report proposes enhancing employability of job seekers by integrating internships and placement opportunities into the education curriculum to address the lack of work experience among graduates.
It also recommends increasing women’s participation in STEM by way of the introduction of targeted scholarships for women to boost their enrollment in graduate STEM courses and bridge the gender gap.
It further recommends the promotion of inclusivity in the job market through relevant government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and the implementation of social protection measures.
Olaitan Ibrahim