With approximately 60 percent of Haiti’s population under the age of 25 and the country’s formal economy contracting for the third consecutive year, youth unemployment in Haiti had reached crisis proportions in 2020, with devastating consequences for a generation whose life prospects were being foreclosed before they had truly begun. The combination of COVID-19’s economic shock and the pre-existing damage of the political crisis made 2020 one of the worst years on record for young Haitians seeking work.
The formal job market for educated young Haitians was essentially frozen. Private sector hiring had contracted sharply. The public sector, already overstaffed relative to its operational needs and unable to pay existing employees reliably, was not hiring. Businesses that had been planning to expand and create jobs had put those plans on hold indefinitely.
In the informal economy, which absorbed most of Haiti’s working-age population, the opportunities that existed were increasingly precarious. The market for informal services — everything from repair work to food vending to domestic service — had shrunk as household budgets contracted. Competition for informal income had intensified as more people chased fewer opportunities.
Youth development organizations working in Haiti warned that extended unemployment was not merely an economic problem but a social and security emergency. Young people without legitimate economic options were vulnerable to gang recruitment, irregular migration, and the desperation that could lead to self-destructive or violent behavior. Investing in youth employment and training was not just economically wise, they argued, but a fundamental security imperative.