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    Supporting Jobs for Young Women and Men in Africa: A Framework for Country-Level Analysis
    (African Economic Research Consortium, 2022-04) Velde, Dirk Willem te
    Generating jobs for a growing population is a critical challenge that Africa faces. An additional 20 million young people will enter the working age population each year over the next decade. Africa has managed to generate economic growth since the mid-1990s, but this type of growth has failed to be inclusive, transformative and job rich. The quality of the jobs generated is low. African countries have managed to absorb the volume of young people migrating from rural areas by generating low productivity, low paid jobs in traditional services sector in their cities. The development of key sectors with productivity growth potential (sector transformation) and structural change is critical for the economic transformation process and hence for increases in jobs and income, including for the young. Covid-19 has affected economic structures, consumer preferences, production processes and trade practices. The crisis has accelerated previous trends (e.g. the rise of e-commerce) and led to new demand and production patterns (e.g. an increase in home working). The dramatic fall in the global demand of garments and travel – to name a few of the manifestations of the crisis – may require recalibrating economic transformation and development strategies. Despite these challenges, targeted or sectoral policies will continue to be essential to the development of any key sector, and some sectors are better able to absorb labour. In this sense, it is critical to identify which sectors present the greatest potential to boost productive employment. This involves assessing sectors’ employment and productivity. With a growing influx of young people and women participating in the market, labour supply is expected to be sufficient, in the short- and medium-term, to cover demand. In the paper which this brief summarise we propose a four-step framework to identify and create opportunities to create jobs for young men and women. Section 2 identifies the problem which the paper is trying to address. Section 3 provides the framework for analysis This framework offers guidance for country researchers who can be following this up and examine specific questions, using appropriate methods.
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    Structural Change, Productivity, and Jobs Creation: Evidence from Tunisia
    (African Economic Research Consortium, 2022-04) Amara, Mohamed; Zidi, Faycel; Jeddi, Hela
    Today over 22 percent of Tunisian population is between the age of 15 and 29, and fully 47 percent of the population is under 30. This significant youth bulge could have been a good opportunity for Tunisia to benefit from an abundant labor supply following the entry of young workers into the labor market. This means that consumption and additional tax revenue would increase leading to an adequate and stable funding of social programs and public investments. However, this economic dynamic neither worked nor have produced the expected results in terms of economic growth and employment.
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    Support Programmes for Youth Employment and Employability in the Growth Sectors in Senegal
    (African Economic Research Consortium, 2022-02) Dumas, TSAMBOU André; Diallo, THIERNO MALICK; Benjamin, FOMBA KAMGA
    Generating jobs for a growing population is a critical challenge that Africa faces. An additional 20 million young people will enter the working age population each year over the next decade. Africa has managed to generate economic growth since the mid-1990s, but this type of growth has failed to be inclusive, transformative and job rich. The quality of the jobs generated is low. African countries have managed to absorb the volume of young people migrating from rural areas by generating low productivity, low paid jobs in traditional services sector in their cities. The development of key sectors with productivity growth potential (sector transformation) and structural change is critical for the economic transformation process and hence for increases in jobs and income, including for the young. Covid-19 has affected economic structures, consumer preferences, production processes and trade practices. The crisis has accelerated previous trends (e.g. the rise of e-commerce) and led to new demand and production patterns (e.g. an increase in home working). The dramatic fall in the global demand of garments and travel – to name a few of the manifestations of the crisis – may require recalibrating economic transformation and development strategies. Despite these challenges, targeted or sectoral policies will continue to be essential to the development of any key sector, and some sectors are better able to absorb labour. In this sense, it is critical to identify which sectors present the greatest potential to boost productive employment. This involves assessing sectors’ employment and productivity. With a growing influx of young people and women participating in the market, labour supply is expected to be sufficient, in the short- and medium-term, to cover demand. In the paper which this brief summarise we propose a four-step framework to identify and create opportunities to create jobs for young men and women. Section 2 identifies the problem which the paper is trying to address. Section 3 provides the framework for analysis This framework offers guidance for country researchers who can be following this up and examine specific questions, using appropriate methods.
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    What Economic Sectors Drive Youth Employment in Nigeria?
    (African Economic Research Consortium, 2022-02) Edewor, Sarah Edore; Kollie, Genesis Bhenda
    The Nigeria economy continues to be plagued with unemployment especially amongst youths with about 29.7% and 25.7% of youths aged between 15-34 years reported in the third quarter of 2018 as been underemployment and unemployment respectively (Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, 2018). Limited access to employment opportunities is a key challenge because economic growth does not translate into employment. This jobless growth is due to economic and political crises that has plagued the country for years and which needs to be tackled. Policy-relevant discussions must first identify sectors that have potential for job creation and the conditions required to make them more productive and attractive for investors so as to stimulate and promote decent jobs for youths.
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    Employment Creation Potential for Youth of Growth Sectors in the Kenyan Economy
    (African Economic Research Consortium, 2022-02) Onsomu, Eldah Nyamoita; Munga, Boaz Omori; Mujuri, Bonface Munene
    Generating jobs for a growing population is a critical challenge that Africa faces. An additional 20 million young people will enter the working age population each year over the next decade. Africa has managed to generate economic growth since the mid-1990s, but this type of growth has failed to be inclusive, transformative and job rich. The quality of the jobs generated is low. African countries have managed to absorb the volume of young people migrating from rural areas by generating low productivity, low paid jobs in traditional services sector in their cities. The development of key sectors with productivity growth potential (sector transformation) and structural change is critical for the economic transformation process and hence for increases in jobs and income, including for the young. Covid-19 has affected economic structures, consumer preferences, production processes and trade practices. The crisis has accelerated previous trends (e.g. the rise of e-commerce) and led to new demand and production patterns (e.g. an increase in home working). The dramatic fall in the global demand of garments and travel – to name a few of the manifestations of the crisis – may require recalibrating economic transformation and development strategies. Despite these challenges, targeted or sectoral policies will continue to be essential to the development of any key sector, and some sectors are better able to absorb labour. In this sense, it is critical to identify which sectors present the greatest potential to boost productive employment. This involves assessing sectors’ employment and productivity. With a growing influx of young people and women participating in the market, labour supply is expected to be sufficient, in the short- and medium-term, to cover demand. In the paper which this brief summarise we propose a four-step framework to identify and create opportunities to create jobs for young men and women. Section 2 identifies the problem which the paper is trying to address. Section 3 provides the framework for analysis This framework offers guidance for country researchers who can be following this up and examine specific questions, using appropriate methods.