Youth Unemployment and Social Stability: A Quantitative Analysis of Political Alienation, Psychological Distress, and Social Instability Among Young Adults

Sadiq Hussain

doi:10.5281/zenodo.20672225

Authors

Sadiq Hussain Riphah International University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7045-8100

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20672225

Keywords:

youth unemployment, social stability, political alienation, economic inequality, mental health, social cohesion, employment policy

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between youth unemployment and social stability, investigating the mechanisms through which the inability of young people to secure gainful employment contributes to social unrest, political disillusionment, criminal behavior, mental health deterioration, and the erosion of social cohesion. With global youth unemployment rates consistently exceeding adult unemployment by a factor of two to three, and with the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2024) estimating that approximately 73 million young people worldwide are unemployed while millions more are underemployed or engaged in precarious informal work, youth unemployment has emerged as one of the most pressing socioeconomic challenges facing both developed and developing nations. This research employs a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design to assess the perceptions and experiences of 100 unemployed and employed young adults aged 18 to 30 regarding the social consequences of unemployment. A structured questionnaire measuring unemployment duration, perceived social exclusion, mental health indicators, attitudes toward civic institutions, and engagement in antisocial behavior was administered to participants selected through stratified sampling. The findings reveal statistically significant associations between unemployment duration and perceived social instability (r = 0.54, p < 0.01), political alienation (r = 0.48, p < 0.01), and psychological distress (r = 0.52, p < 0.01). The regression model indicates that unemployment duration, educational mismatch, and perceived economic inequality collectively explain 41% of the variance in social instability perception scores. The study concludes that youth unemployment poses a fundamental threat to social stability and recommends comprehensive employment creation strategies, skills development programs, and social protection mechanisms.

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