Youth Unemployment, Gender and Institutions During Transition: Evidence from the Arab Spring

Fakih, Ali; Haimoun, Nathir; Kassem, Mohamad

doi:10.1007/s11205-020-02300-3

Cited by 55 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The labor market is negatively affected by political changes such as political instability, war, and refugees' consequences. Additionally, corruption highly impacts job opportunities (Fakih et al, 2020). Many studies document a negative impact of unemployment rate on happiness (Winkelmann, 2014;Frey and Stutzer, 2018).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does quality of governance contribute to the heterogeneity in happiness levels across MENA countries?

Youssef

Diab²

2021

JBSED

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PurposeHappiness levels differ among the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries and follow a downtrend, making such heterogeneity a popular topic to investigate. The paper aims to study the contribution of governance quality on the heterogeneity in happiness levels across MENA countries while controlling for demographic and socioeconomic variables.Design/methodology/approachThe paper applies panel random-effects regression analysis on three samples: full sample, rich and poor subsamples, using data from 20 MENA countries over the 2007–2017 period.FindingsThe empirical results for the full sample conclude that better technical quality of governance increases happiness in the region. Furthermore, findings suggest that political stability and absence of violence matters for people's happiness only in rich countries. Whereas, control of corruption is positively associated with happiness level in the full sample and poor subsample. Across all three samples, voice and accountability has no impact on happiness.Research limitations/implicationsA possible limitation of the paper is using an index for happiness based on a subjective weight distribution. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to implement a novel method using data envelopment analysis.Practical implicationsThis paper includes implications for policymakers in the MENA region. Governments should strengthen existing laws and create a comprehensive database of laws, fight corruption and prioritize raising income.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to categorize MENA countries into rich and poor to analyze how governance quality contributes to the heterogeneity in happiness levels.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does quality of governance contribute to the heterogeneity in happiness levels across MENA countries?

Youssef

Diab²

2021

JBSED

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“…Along with lack of prospects, anger over widespread corruption in the MENA government were driving factors for people to take part in the Arab Spring. Research on firm performance in the MENA region has demonstrated a negative relationship between firms engaging in informal activities and firm performance (Abdo Ahmad and Fakih 2021), which in turn translates into lower unemployment rates, triggering protests (Fakih et al 2020) and leading to a highly frustrated population. Frustration dominated people when they observed the luxurious lifestyle of the elites while most of the population had to grapple with basic necessities (Salamey 2015).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of the Arab Spring Protests in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya: What Have We Learned?

Barakat

Fakih

2021

Social Sciences

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This paper provides empirical evidence on the determinants of protest participation in Arab Spring countries that witnessed major uprisings and in which social unrest was most pronounced. Namely, this paper investigates the latter in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya using a micro-level data survey, the Arab Transformation Survey (2015). The findings of our probit regression analysis reveal that gender, trust in government, corruption concern, and social media usage have influenced the individual’s perception of protest activism. We find evidence that the role of economic factors was inconsistent, whereas political grievances were more clearly related to the motive to participate in the uprisings. We then control for country-specific effects whereby results show that citizens in each country showed different characteristics of participation. The findings of this research would set the ground for governments to better assess the health of their societies and be a model of governance in the Middle East.

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“…This not only provides increased sustainability to the workforce but also strengthens the economic well-being of society in general [13]. In a study conducted by Fakih et al, it was reported that HEIs must develop the right kind of employability skills among their graduates to boost their career prospects [14]. Similar research was carried out by Ali et al, in which employers expressed a lack of confidence in the capability of HEIs to develop the required employability skills among their graduate students [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of COVID-19 on the Labor Market of Saudi Arabia: The Role of Universities for a Sustainable Workforce

et al. 2020

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Governments all over the world are taking preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. However, these measures have caused both long- and short-term effects on the socioeconomic situation of many countries. Due to lockdowns and business shutdowns, people are becoming unemployed or are working on reduced wages, creating a unique type of career shock in the global job market. Moreover, this phenomenon also produces a negative reflux among workers, encouraging a new skill set for this unprecedented time. The present study aimed to investigate the implications of COVID-19 on the labor market of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire from both public and private sector employers (n = 234) to inquire about their perceptions of the new skill set required in the changing business environment during and after pandemics. The data were analyzed with the help of descriptive statistics as well as simple and companion regression. The results indicate that the healthcare, service and education sectors have quickly transformed themselves from conventional to remote forms of working and consider virtual skills, autonomous working and effective communication the most important skills for their workforce during the current and the postpandemic scenarios. Interviews were then conducted with educational leaders to develop a conceptual framework by integrating both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the surveys. The results of the study are beneficial for the educational leadership of higher education institutions (HEIs) to better align their educational programs with changing market needs. By doing so, they not only increase the sustainability of the workforce but also minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the Saudi labor market.

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Youth Unemployment, Gender and Institutions During Transition: Evidence from the Arab Spring

Cited by 55 publications

References 33 publications

Does quality of governance contribute to the heterogeneity in happiness levels across MENA countries?

Does quality of governance contribute to the heterogeneity in happiness levels across MENA countries?

Determinants of the Arab Spring Protests in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya: What Have We Learned?

Implications of COVID-19 on the Labor Market of Saudi Arabia: The Role of Universities for a Sustainable Workforce

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