Although Latina America has been a strong performer in the 2000s, the number of young male Latinos who do not study or work has become a major concern recently.

The World Bank featured a study which presented that over 20 million young people in Latin America, from 15 to 24 years old, do not study or work. They are called “ninis,” which came from the Spanish phrase “niestudianitrabaja,” which translates into “no study no work.”

Two-thirds of the total consisted of women, although the report particularly pointed out that the number of men in the group was increasing rapidly. Since 1992, the number of male Ninis has grown by 1.8 million.The number of female Ninis declined due to more education and employment opportunities.

Among the young women, the most important risk factor is getting married before 18 years old, together with teenage pregnancy. For the young men, early dropping out in school to enter the labor market puts them at risk for unemployment later on. Unskilled youths are unable to land jobs in the formal sector, so they settle for odd jobs and almost never return to school.

The World Bank Report, titled “Out of School and Out of Work: Risk and Opportunities for Latin America’s Ninis,” cited that one in every five young people in Latin America, require more incentives to remain in school and aid in looking for a job. The region can help minimize poverty and boost the economy by providing avenues to encourage the young individuals to seek education or work.

Rafael de Hoyos, Halsey Rogers and Miguel Szekely co-authored the World Bank report. They stated that almost 60 percent of Ninis in the region come from poor or vulnerable homes that are in the lower 40 percent of the income distribution.

“We need to provide our expanding youth population the right education and work skills to help them succeed in life,” said World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the CaribbeanJorge Familiar, in the same World Bank report. “Countries that offer high-quality education to an expanding young population and also have a dynamic, well-functioning labor markets will grow and reduce poverty more rapidly.”

Jackson Hole News & Guide revealed that the top five critical concerns among Latinos are documentation and citizenship, housing, language and proficiency, educational attainment, wages and income levels and healthcare access.

There are currently several policies that will hopefully lower the total Ninis in the region.