Due to the higher rate of youth unemployment in Fiji, Government will continue to target opportunities of employment for youth.

Economy Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says one of the major opportunity is the reduction of retirement age in the civil service.

Sayed-Khaiyum says by taking this step Government has allowed more young Fijians to enter the work force in the public sector.

“69.4 percent of the entire Fijian population is below the age of 40. The recent statistics on unemployment has revealed that unemployment is now the lowest it has been in the past 15 years. That of course doesn’t go to say that the unemployment rate for youth is as low.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says the current unemployment rate in Fiji stands at 5.5 percent, the lowest it has been in the past 15 years.