Why is it so hard for youth to find a job? While many people think that students graduated from college might have been fully prepared to enter the workforce, youth unemployment is actually two times higher than the unemployment of all citizens (Huang & Wu, 2021). The reasons for high youth unemployment rates in Taiwan can be attributed to three main factors.

       When students graduate from school and enter the job market, it often happens that the skills they have learned don’t match with the demands that the companies are looking for. We can call this kind of situation an educational mismatch. According to the Taiwan Educational Review Monthly reported in 2017, it indicated that nowadays, many university courses emphasize on the theories of their subject, whereas the real life skills or the utilities have been ignored. ( Lin & Chen, 2017) Students who graduate from this kind of system which only focuses on theoretical knowledge and ignores practical skills may result in poor communication skills or limited real-world experiences and end up having difficulty finding jobs because they have problems meeting the company's requirements.  Consequently, young people would be facing difficulties getting jobs due to the unsuitable educational background they have been cultivated. 

        Lack of experience is another major reason for high youth unemployment. Now news Taiwan pointed out that many job openings require applications to have years of prior relevant working experiences, which may become obstacles for youth to get a job.(Jhen, 2023) Companies will definitely prefer employees with experience, so that they can not only avoid the new workers to learn the job from scratch, but also make sure their employees are able to complete the tasks rapidly because they have had years of practice. However, for youth, they often struggle finding their first job, and thus become an adversity for them to accumulate experience. This circumstance may trap youth in a vicious circle, which makes it more challenging for them to pursue an ideal job.

         The discrimination of young people being unable to handle stress or being too vulnerable in terms of mental aspects can make it harder for them to be hired. As stated in the United Daily News, youth had been hyped as a crowd of people who are susceptible to mental health, having fragile mental states and in need of special care. (Chen, 2023)These negative, unkind remarks have also made employers loath to hire youth due to the concern that they may be insufficient in necessary mental resilience to thrive under high workplace pressure.

        In conclusion, educational mismatch, lack of working experiences and discrimination can be the three main reasons for the high youth unemployment rates in Taiwan. The emphasis on theoretical knowledge in the education system leaves the students with inadequate practical experiences, and unqualified to meet companie’s standards. Additionally, preference for prior working experiences poses a challenge for youth to get their first job as well. Lastly, the perception of youth being too vulnerable to handle stress causes employers to be reluctant to hire them. All of these reasons have made it difficult for youth to find a job, and also explains the reasons for the high youth unemployment rate in Taiwan. 

 

 

References:

黃怡菁 吳嘉堡（2021-06-21 ）：主計處統計：15至29歲青年失業率8.3% 全體國人失業率2倍多。台北：公視新聞網。 [ HUANG,YI-JING, WU,JIA-BAO. (2021, June, 21). zhǔ jìchùtǒng jìzhìsuìqīng niánshī yè lǜ cyuán tǐguó rénshih yè lyùbèiduo. Taipei: PTS NEWS .]

(Source from: https://reurl.cc/V4LA86)

 

林俊彥 陳幼珍 (2017)：縮小「學用落差」是產官學共同的責任。臺灣教育評論月刊。[lín,jyùn-yàn, chén,yòu-jhen. (2017). suo siǎosyuéyòngluò chashìhchǎnguan syuégòng tóngde˚zé rèn. Taiwan Educational Review Monthly .]

(Source from: http://www.ater.org.tw/journal/article/6-8/topic/10.pdf)

 

 

鄭妤安 (2023 02)：年輕人長期失業問題嚴重化！學者點破3原因。 NOWnews。[jhèn,gyú-an. (2023 02). nián cingréncháng císhih yèwùn tíyán jhònghuà syué jhědiǎn pòyuán yin. NOWnews .]

(Source from: https://reurl.cc/blWVjd)

 

陳宛茜 (2023-04-18)：台灣長期失業者為何多是年輕人 學者分析有兩大原因。聯合報。[chén,wǎn-ciàn. (2023-04-18). táiwancháng císhih yèjhěwèi héduo shìhnián cingrénsyué jhěfen siyǒuliǎngdàyuán yin. United Daily News .](Source from: https://udn.com/news/story/7266/7104701)