Reports indicate that around 62 million young people in 2023 were neither involved in employment, education or training (NEET) equating to 25.9% of the youth population, up from 22.2% in 2013.
These findings are from the World Employment and Social Outlook report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) which provides a comprehensive assessment of the latest labour market trends, including unemployment, job creation, labour force participation and hours worked.
The report on a number of youths who are neither in employment, education or training may not be unconnected to other findings which indicates that they are particularly at risk of disillusionment and labour market detachment as a result of being unable to secure decent and productive work on entry into the labour market.
Furthermore, it indicates that although job creation is keeping pace with the rising labour force, it is not necessarily making improvements in the quality of jobs.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s labour force continues to be driven by population growth.
The size of the labour force increased by 3.3 per cent in 2023. This translates into an additional 53 million people of working age in the labour force in 2023 compared with 2019.
By implementing these recommendations, sub-Saharan African governments can address the challenges of unemployment, underemployment, and informal employment, to foster a more resilient and inclusive labour market.
