Assessing the provision of effective youth employment in Azerbaijan

Effective youth employment is one of the key factors contributing to the improvement of living standards and sustainable socio-economic development. Despite the increased attention paid to employment issues by governments and researchers, the problem of employing young people in accordance with their qualifications and professional skills remains highly important. The article examines the theoretical aspects of the concept of effective employment and analyzes the main factors influencing the employment level of young specialists. The purpose of the study is to assess the effectiveness of youth employment and identify the main barriers preventing young people from a successful integration into the labor market. The methodological basis of the research includes the works of domestic and foreign scholars devoted to employment, labor market development, and vocational education. The study employs observation, sociological survey, comparative analysis, statistical data analysis, generalization, and logical reasoning methods. The findings demonstrate that the employment rate of university graduates is 56.9%, whereas the employment rate among graduates of secondary and primary vocational education institutions reaches 67.5%. It also shows that more than 30% of university graduates work outside their field of specialization, mainly in trade sector, which indicates a low level of effective youth employment. The study concludes that major causes of this problem are inappropriate career choice, mismatch between professional training and labor market demands, and an insufficient number of jobs corresponding to graduates’ qualifications. The author substantiates the necessity to improve career guidance systems, enhance the quality of professional training, and strengthen cooperation between educational institutions and employers.

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