The Origins of Unemployment among University Graduates: Study of Kermanshah Province

Employment of human resources, especially university graduates, is one of the most important and basic goals of economic-social planning of any society. Based on this, the present study examined and analyzed the causes of unemployment among the graduates of Kermanshah province. An explanatory sequential mixed method was used to achieving the research goal. The statistical population in the qualitative phase was included of experts who were selected using special cases sampling method until reaching theoretical saturation (n=28). Data were collected using the in-depth interview method and analyzed using the three-level coding technique. In the quantitative phase, to determine the most important influencing factors on the graduate's unemployment, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. The validity and reliability of the research tool in different phases were confirmed using triangulation, interviews with experts and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α≥ 0.86). The findings showed that solving socio-cultural, economic, governance and academic problems related to the unemployment of graduates (such as weakness in entrepreneurial culture, desire for government employment, the prevalence of degree orientation, excessive inflation, failure to attract investors to the province, inconsistency between market needs and university outputs) can significantly contribute to reducing the graduates unemployment rate.