The Effectiveness of Youth Employment Policies and Political Challenges in Pakistan and Spain: A Comparative Review
Keywords:
Political Challenges, Youth Employment Policies, Policies Implementation, Comparative Analysis, Pakistan, Spain
Abstract
This comparative analysis studies the political issues that Spain and Pakistan faced when putting youth employment policies into practice, highlighting the different conditions and complexities that impact the effectiveness of strategies. However, both states have high rates of youth unemployment; their political situations are very diverse. Spain deals with bureaucratic inefficiency and regional discrimination, but Pakistan faces political instability and corruption. Using comparative analysis approaches, the investigation relates pre-existing documents that undergo thematic analysis to find significant trends and interpretations. Important outcomes show that while agency support and governance are necessary in certain circumstances, political determination, public involvement, and socioeconomic restrictions make policy execution even more difficult. The current research emphasizes the measures for context-sensitive procedures that take long-term consistency and supporter input into description. Finally, by highlighting best practices and potential strategies for more effective results in various political conditions, this investigation emphasizes the ability of the youth employment strategy.
References
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Ramos, R. (2019). Social Inequality and Youth Employment in Spain: Regional Disparities and Their Implications. Social Indicators Research, 143(1), 201-221.
Rodríguez, E. (2021). Political Polarization and Its Impact on Labor Policy in Spain. Spanish Journal of Political Science, 15(2), 77-94.
Shah, A. (2018). Corruption and Youth Employment in Pakistan: Challenges and Solutions. Asian Journal of Political Science, 26(1), 25-38.
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State Public Employment Service. (2023). Youth Employment Services.
Verd, J. M., Barranco, O., & Bolíbar, M. (2019). Youth unemployment and employment trajectories in Spain during the Great Recession: what are the determinants?. Journal for Labour Market Research, 53(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12651-019-0254-3
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Zubair, S., & Qureshi, A. (2019). Socioeconomic Barriers to Youth Employment in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Sociology, 9(1), 15-29.
Ali, A. (2016). Political Instability and Economic Development in Pakistan: An Analysis. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 36(2), 101-115.
Baah-Boateng, W. (2016). The youth unemployment challenge in Africa: What are the drivers?. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, 27(4), 413-431.https://doi.org/10.1177/1035304616645030
Caballero, J., & García, A. (2020). Decentralization and Employment Policies in Spain: A Coordination Challenge. Public Administration Review, 80(5), 878-888.
Cabasés Piqué, M. À., Pardell Veà, A., & Strecker, T. (2016). The EU youth guarantee–a critical analysis of its implementation in Spain. Journal of Youth Studies, 19(5), 684-704. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2015.1098777
Caixa Bank. (2023). Consolidated financial statements, management report and audit report 2023. https://www.caixabank.com
Dolado, J. J., & Jimeno, J. F. (2016). The Dual Labor Market in Spain: An Analysis of Its Causes and Consequences. Labour Economics, 41, 20-30.
European Commission. (2024). Youth employment support. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/economy-works-people/youth-employment-support_en
Eurostat. (2021). Youth unemployment statistics. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Archive:Youth_unemployment&direction=next&oldid=57450
Fox, L., & Kaul, U. (2018). The evidence is in: How should youth employment programs in low-income countries be designed?. World Bank policy research working paper, (8500). https://ssrn.com/abstract=3238339
Fox, Louise., Senbet, Lemma W., & Simbanegavi, W. (2016). Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges, Constraints and Opportunities. Journal of African Economies , 25 , 3-15 . https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejv027
García, A., & O’Reilly, J. (2020). Youth Employment in Spain: Current Policies and Challenges. https://reform-support.ec.europa.eu/what-we-do/labour-market-and-social-protection/tackling-youth-and-long-term-unemployment-spain_en
González, P. (2018). Austerity Policies and Their Impact on Youth Employment in Spain. European Journal of Political Economy, 54, 118-134.
Government of Pakistan. (2019). Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Program.
Government of Pakistan. (2023). National Youth Employment Policy. Government of Pakistan.
Granados, F., & Rodríguez, E. (2020). Youth Unemployment in Spain: Structural and Cyclical Factors. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 8(5), 15-29.
Hussain, I., & Majeed, A. (2022). Youth Unemployment in Pakistan: A Critical Review. Journal of Social Sciences, 45(2), 123-135.
IIPS. (2022). Youth unemployment in Pakistan: Policy brief. Institute of Integrated Policy Studies.
Iqbal, M. (2020). Inter-Agency Coordination and Youth Employment in Pakistan: A Review. International Journal of Public Administration, 43(4), 291-303.
Khan, M. (2021). The Economic Implications of Youth Unemployment in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Economics, 22(1), 67-80.
Khan, S. (2017). "Bureaucratic Challenges in Policy Implementation in Pakistan: A Case Study of Youth Employment Policies." Public Administration Review, 77(3), 431-441.
Maguire, S., Cockx, B., Dolado, J. J., Felgueroso, F., Jansen, M., Styczyńska, I., ... & Rinne, U. (2013). Youth unemployment. Intereconomics, 48(4), 196-235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-013-0464-9
Martínez, J. M., & Rojas, C. (2020). Youth Unemployment in Spain: An Ongoing Challenge. Journal of Labor Research, 41(3), 233-250.
Memon, S., Ishak, M. S. B., & Hamid, N. B. A. (2017). The Influence of Political Socialization Agents on Political Participation of Pakistani Youths. Jurnal Ilmiah LISKI (Lingkar Studi Komunikasi), 3(2), 130-149.
Mínguez, A. M. (2016). Economic crisis and the new housing transitions of young people in Spain. International Journal of Housing Policy, 16(2), 165-183. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616718.2015.1130604
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. (2021). Rural Youth Employment Program.
Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Pakistan. (2020). National Vocational and Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) Strategic Framework.
Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan. (2020). Digital Pakistan Policy.
Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Pakistan. (2019). National Internship Program (NIP).
Ministry of Youth Affairs, Government of Pakistan. (2012). National Youth Policy. Government of Pakistan.
OECD. (2014). Spain: Youth Unemployment. OECD Economic Surveys: Spain 2014. https://www.oecd.org/spain/economic-survey-spain.htm
OECD. (2019). Youth Employment Policy Review of Spain. https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-issues/youth.ht
Pakistan Economic Survey. (2022). Youth Employment and Skills Development in Pakistan. Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan. https://www.finance.gov.pk/
Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). (2020). Youth Empowerment and Employment Scheme.
Qureshi, M. A., & Ahmad, N. (2017). Youth Unemployment in Pakistan: Causes and Policy Recommendations. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 8(15), 74-83.
Rahman, A. (2021). Political Will and Youth Employment in Pakistan: Challenges and Prospects. South Asian Journal of Politics, 12(1), 44-60.
Ramos, R. (2019). Social Inequality and Youth Employment in Spain: Regional Disparities and Their Implications. Social Indicators Research, 143(1), 201-221.
Rodríguez, E. (2021). Political Polarization and Its Impact on Labor Policy in Spain. Spanish Journal of Political Science, 15(2), 77-94.
Shah, A. (2018). Corruption and Youth Employment in Pakistan: Challenges and Solutions. Asian Journal of Political Science, 26(1), 25-38.
Soomro, A. N., Khan, D., & Ambreen, S. (2025). The impact of youth unemployment on political mobilization in Pakistan (2020–2025). Dialogue Social Science Review.
Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. (2020). Garantía Juvenil - Youth Guarantee.
Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism. (2023). Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program.
Spanish Ministry of Labor and Social Economy. (2021). Plan de Empleo Joven.
Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda. (2022). Jóvenes en Acción.
State Public Employment Service. (2023). Youth Employment Services.
Verd, J. M., Barranco, O., & Bolíbar, M. (2019). Youth unemployment and employment trajectories in Spain during the Great Recession: what are the determinants?. Journal for Labour Market Research, 53(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12651-019-0254-3
World Bank. (2020). Pakistan - Country Overview. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan
Zubair, S., & Qureshi, A. (2019). Socioeconomic Barriers to Youth Employment in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Sociology, 9(1), 15-29.
Published
2026-03-27
How to Cite
Hussain, I., Mamdani, K. F., & Askri, S. J. (2026). The Effectiveness of Youth Employment Policies and Political Challenges in Pakistan and Spain: A Comparative Review. Journal of Social Sciences and Media Studies, 9(2), 12-21. https://doi.org/10.58921/jossams.09.02.0532
Section
Articles
