From East Africa Business Week

Tanzania is apparently ahead of other East African Community (EAC) member states in terms of employment creation. Tanzania has recorded over 18 per cent annual job creation rate ahead of Kenya 17 per cent, Burundi 12 per cent, Uganda 7.3 per cent and Rwanda 0.7 per cent.

This was revealed during the recently concluded East African Youth Conference hosted in Arusha. The conference was convened to strategise for youth-led discussions and proposals that will enable the EAC organs, institutions and stakeholders address issues pertaining to youth development.

According to the African Leadership Centre (ALC)EAC, youth population in the EAC grew by 24 million between 2005 and 2010 and is expected to grow by 237 million by 2030.

The EAC Secretary General Richard Sezibera said job opportunities have increased in the region with the deepening of regional integration. He advised the youth seek opportunities that lie outside their home countries and to be job creators.

“This calls for the youth in the region to focus their energies in innovative and transformational ideas that will propel the regional economy into the fast moving globalised world,” he said.

He said enthusiasm of the youth in the EAC bloc on regional integration was overwhelming with recent statistics showing that employment rates are still at a record high. However, there has been some concern that unemployment among the young people has become a pressing economic and social issue in all the five EAC partner states.

Read more at East Africa Business Week