Dissertation (MA Public Administration)Unemployment in Tanzania is a problem that has brought severe impacts on lives of many youths. The rapid growth of labour force and the inability of the economy to generate enough jobs for youths is a time bomb which is being left undiffused and is likely to explode and shatter peace and economic growth that the country has been enjoying since independence. This problem has and continues to draw great attention of national, international bodies and scholars in looking for solutions. Due to severity of the problem, this study on the contribution of local government authorities in addressing youth unemployment was conducted in Dodoma municipality with the aim of suggesting solutions to this problem. The study focused on efforts being made by local authorities in addressing the causes, effects and magnitude of youth unemployment. Primary data were collected using interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions. Secondary data were collected from books, journals/articles and dissertations. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0 where outputs from descriptive statistics and frequencies were used. Qualitative data were analyzed through description and explanations. Findings revealed that many youths were subjected to unemployment due to poor capital to invest in self-initiated economic activities, poor support from local government authorities and insufficient knowledge on entrepreneurship as one of the basic skill towards self-employment. It was found that many youths were engaged activities such as petty trading “machinga”, cloth selling “mitumba”, vegetable selling and “bodaboda” transport. These activities did not provide sustainable solution for unemployment. Others eventually ended up in illegal and unlawful practices such as drug abuse, prostitution, social violence and robbery. It was only 21.4% of youths who got economic support from the municipality. It was finally recommended that local government authorities had to put more efforts in initiating, supporting and sustaining youth income generating projects as the best strategy to increase employment opportunities.