EDEN, October 5, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Unemployed youth in Yemen view Ramadan as the best time for job hunting, despite being on a temporary basis, to cope with harsher economic conditions after the application of new measures.

"Now (Ramadan) is the perfect time for me to find a job, to earn my own living and be able to cover my expenses for the coming period," Mansour El-Dab'y, an unemployed Yemeni, told Reuters.

"Undoubtedly, Ramadan's advent this year is different. It comes amidst harsh conditions resulting from economic changes that took place only two months ago, resulting in prices of goods soaring, without any tangible increase in salaries or wages," another young man weighed in.

Mozher, another jobless youth, told Reuters that current economic conditions are not "promising", adding: "We are on the verge of having an unprecedented severe economic crisis as unemployment and poverty rates are skyrocketing in the country".

Economy expert Ahmed Uthman Al-Az'zi said that the dream of having a "temp job" will soon vanish the moment Ramadan ends, whereafter everyone will join the queues to have a job in the public or private sectors.

The Yemeni economy is going through critical times, with prices going up, especially oil prices, affecting the vast majority of Yemenis.

Petrol prices in the impoverished republic nearly doubled from 35 riyals (32 cents) per liter to 65 riyals (60 cents). Diesel jumped from 17 riyals (16 cents) to 45 riyals (42 cents).

The government, on its part, says it had to increase oil prices but it also raised wages.

It further added that these policies are in compliance with a certain strategy that seeks finding more job opportunities for the youth.

At least 14 people have been killed and scores others wounded in the deadly clashes that swept the country last July, between Yemeni security forces and demonstrators over the government decision to hike fuel prices.

Most of those affected by unemployment in Yemen are university graduates, who migrated to the cities in search for jobs.

The advent of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which Yemenis observed Tuesday, carries along some job chances, associated with habits and traditions related to Ramadan.

Mahdi El-Matary, left his family in one of the Southern coastal villages and went to Eden, hoping to find a suitable job opportunity.

He told Reuters he would work this Ramadan in the business of selling cashews, nuts and drinks, hoping to make some gains to meet the needs of his poor family.

Meqdad El-Msoury, who also left his family in the village and headed to Eden in search for a temp job during Ramadan, is not different.

He said that he expects to earn between 5-8 thousand Reyals a day (around 25-40$).

Yemen, situated at the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has a population of 19.7 million, and Gross National Product (GDP) per capita does not exceed 800 dollars.

Many Yemenis believe blame rests with the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to pressuring the government to implement the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP), which negatively affect the poor in this country, whose oil production barely reaches 400.000 barrel per day.

WB statistics show around 43% of the whole 20 million population, live under poverty line. Furthermore, illiteracy is estimated to be around 50%. Unemployment rate reached 20%.