South Sudan is in a state of profound economic transition, heavily influenced by conflict and large-scale population displacement and return. This transition has fundamentally changed the way in which people live, particularly their relationship with work and money.  Young people, particularly women, have generally suffered disproportionately as they try to navigate this rapidly changing and often exploitative political economy. This report summarizes these broader trends and outlines how young men often have little option but to engage in armed work, whether that is criminal activity, part of the state military apparatus, or in opposition militias and community protection groups. It is therefore argued that the position of young people in South Sudan’s economy needs to be better understood through collaborative research. This includes the shifting power dynamics and inequalities within labour markets and the new social structures that cut across previously accepted gendered and generational norms around power and decision-making.

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