Geographic and demographic analysis of unemployment in Libya (1973-2022)

Abstract

Unemployment is one of the economic phenomena that most affects the stability and cohesion of society. The research aimed to analyze the size, rates and causes of unemployment for the Libyan population (15 years and over) for the period (1973-2022), and to identify the demographic characteristics of the unemployed, and the geographical distribution of unemployment for the period between  (2012-2022).  2022), and the study relied on the descriptive and analytical approach, and the use of some cartographic methods to explain the variation and change of this phenomenon. The study concluded that the number of unemployed people increased from 1,528 unemployed in 1973 to 354,269 unemployed in 2022, as well as an increase in the unemployment rate for females, reaching 25% (18.4% in 2012).  2022, and the majority of the unemployed fall within the young age group (15-24 years) as it reached 48.6% (39.2%) between the years 2012-2022. Unemployment rates were also characterized by two regions of the country, as its highest rate was recorded in 2012 in Al-Marj and the Western Mountain (31.1  28.5%, and the lowest rate was recorded in Kufra (5.5%), and the highest rate was recorded in 2022 in Ghat and Sabha (24.0, 22.7%). The study recommended increasing interest in geographical studies on this phenomenon, adjusting the differences in levels of development between regions,  Reducing youth unemployment by encouraging young people to start small projects     .