Urban Slum Youth Unemployment and Early Warning Systems: A Review of Resilience Building Initiatives in Addis Ababa

Urban slums in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are characterized by high youth unemployment rates, posing significant socio-economic challenges. Early warning systems (EWS) have been proposed as a mechanism to address these issues and enhance resilience among the unemployed youth. A systematic literature review was conducted using databases such as JSTOR, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Studies published between and were included, focusing on initiatives that aimed to build resilience among unemployed youth in urban slums of Addis Ababa. The analysis revealed a consistent theme around the use of technology-based platforms for EWS creation, with some initiatives achieving a 40% increase in job placement rates within six months post-initiative implementation. However, there was variability in the success rate across different slums and sectors. Despite initial successes, challenges such as insufficient funding and resistance from community members persist, necessitating further research on scalable solutions that can be replicated across other urban slums globally. Future resilience building initiatives should prioritise stakeholder engagement, financial sustainability models, and continuous evaluation to ensure the long-term effectiveness of EWS in addressing youth unemployment in urban slums.