The Unemployment Crisis

Official unemployment hovers around 20-25%, but youth unemployment approaches 50%:

Structural Problems

- Education system producing degrees for non-existent jobs - Limited private sector - Public sector saturation - Skills mismatch

"I have a master's degree in biology. I sell phones," shares Kévin Martial, 28. "My choices: underemployment here or exile in France. Some choice."

Brain Drain

The most educated leave: - 40% of university graduates emigrate - Professional shortage despite high unemployment - Diaspora larger than island populations - Remittances sustaining families

"We export our best minds and import consumer goods," reflects Dr. Cécile Bertin-Elisabeth. "It's colonial trade in new form."