ILO Report Forecasts 14 Million Increase in Sub-Saharan Africa’s Labour Force for 2024
A recent report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has projected a significant increase of 14 million in the labour force of sub-Saharan Africa for the year 2024. The report highlights that population growth continues to be a key factor shaping the region’s labour force dynamics.
In 2023, the region experienced a 3.3% growth in the labour force, adding 53 million working-age individuals compared to 2019. Although this growth was slightly lower than the average of the previous decade, the labour force participation rate remained stable at around 67%, consistent with pre-pandemic levels.
The report takes into account unemployment and underemployment figures from previous years to project estimates for 2024. It notes that unemployment rates have remained slightly elevated throughout the pandemic, with youth unemployment standing at 8.9% and affecting 9.4 million individuals. The report also highlights that around 62 million young people were Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) in 2023, representing 25.9% of the youth population.
While employment has increased in line with the expanding labour force, the report raises concerns about the quality of jobs created. It notes that informal employment accounted for 86.5% of total employment in 2023, with a significant portion of the employed population residing in households below the international poverty threshold. Additionally, the prevalence of own-account and contributing family work, which often entails less job security and irregular income, remains high at 75.5% of the employed population.
The ILO report emphasizes the need for newly created jobs to be both decent and productive, addressing the challenges of underemployment and the quality of employment in the region. It underscores the importance of policies and initiatives aimed at improving the overall quality of jobs to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth across sub-Saharan Africa.
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