The relationship of armed conflict with education and employment of youth in Ethiopia: evidence from Young Lives Pilot survey

This study analyzes the relationship between the 2020-2022 armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia and the education enrollment and employment status among young people. We use quantitative data from 140 young participants, aged 21-23 and 27-29, and their households, collected as part of a pilot study for the seventh round of the Young Lives study in Ethiopia. Our empirical strategy exploits the occurrence of battlefields and the number of conflict shocks experienced by the respondents. The results show that in armed combat areas, youth experienced significant disruptions to their education and employment. Furthermore, the households also suffered income and job losses. These findings highlight the need to rehabilitate damaged infrastructures and restore vital government institutions, including schools and enterprise development offices, to facilitate the resumption of education and job creation.