联合国西亚经济社会委员会-是什么导致了阿拉伯地区的不平等？（英）

E/ESCWA/CL2.GPID/2024/Policy Brief.7What is driving inequality in the Arab region?Is education the great leveller?Youth unemployment in the Arab region is higher than in any other region in the world.Education has long been considered the key to reducing youth unemployment and poverty and improving overall social mobility. It was presumed that equipping young people with an affordable and high-quality education, regardless of their socioeconomic background, would grant them wider access to job opportunities. Theoretically, higher education levels would make young people more competitive in the labour market, enabling those from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds to attain decent and productive employment and gradually lift themselves out of poverty. is higher than in any other region in the worldYouth unemployment in the Arab region2Under this assumption, Governments have increasingly invested in education systems to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and to foster dynamic and productive economies.However, growing evidence shows that if not carefully managed, education can reinforce inequalities, as the wealthy have access to higher quality education systems than those living in poverty, which is reflected in the job opportunities available to them upon graduation. The assumption that quality education can drive social mobility is increasingly being tested as job creation fails to keep pace with the growing number of well-educated graduates entering the labour force every year. The lack of job creation presents a major obstacle to reducing unemployment and achieving equality.Social capital can also play a role in determining who benefits from the limited employment pool, potentially further entrenching inequality.In reality, high-quality and universal education, and broad-based and sustainable economic growth are needed to create decent job opportunities for young people.This policy brief will explore the drivers behind inequality in access to employment in the Arab region, whether it is access to quality education, access to decent jobs or economic growth. It will use Gallup World Poll data to explore people’s perceptions in this regard.Figure 1. Levels of satisfaction with education systems, economic conditions and the job market in high-income Arab countries, 2015–2022 (Percentage)020406080100Education systemEconomic conditionsJob market201520222015202220152022Positive or negative responsesPositiveNegativeSource: Gallup World Poll perception data.High-income, high optimism ....................................Citizens in high-income countries are increasingly optimistic regarding their opportunities.1 Overall, high-income countries exhibit the highest levels of optimism, particularly amongst young people. Perceptions data suggest that these countries likely experience the lowest levels of youth inequality,2 with access to quality education and decent employment being a comparatively limited concern for young people.The chart below il