Stiff Competition for Privileged Jobs: Young Women’s Transition from School to Work

Abstract

While the previous chapter addressed the decision of young women to either participate in the labor market or fully engage in housework, this chapter focuses on those women who actively engage in the job search after they have left the education system. Information regarding central labor market characteristics in chapters 1 and 3 revealed that young women in MENA countries not only face the highest inactivity rates but also face the highest unemployment rate worldwide. Finding a job is a central marker in the transition to adulthood in MENA countries due to its importance in gaining independence from the family, as well as for securing a good socio-economic position, career, and life chances. As long as young women do not find a job, they must rely on familial economic support. This is partly because the state provides only weak support in terms of passive and active labor market policies. Thus, it is important to fully investigate the phenomenon of job searching among young female school leavers and the way young women succeed in finding a first job. Only then can one better understand the problem of high female youth unemployment rates.