Towards Decent Work in a Sub-Saharan Africa

Towards Decent Work in a Sub-Saharan Africa PDF

Author: Theo Sparreboom

Publisher: International Labour Office

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 9789221249429

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Decent work - productive employment that delivers a fair income, security, freedom and dignity, social protection for families, opportunities for personal development and social integration, and equality of opportunity for men and women - is a fundamental goal for all societies. It is also a central element in the fight against global poverty and hunger. In 2008, the United Nations adopted a new target under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) "to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people". This target has particular relevance for sub-Saharan Africa, where widespread poverty is inextricably entwined with a lack of decent work. Drawing on broad regional labour market analyses and country case studies, this book demonstrates how the new MDG employment indicators can be used as a basis for improved labour market and poverty monitoring as well as improved employment policy development in sub-Saharan Africa. It is argued that analysis based on the MDG employment indicators provides a major building block for employment diagnostics, which in turn serves to inform growth strategies that generate more high-quality and productive jobs.

Africa and the Sustainable Development Goals

Africa and the Sustainable Development Goals PDF

Author: Maano Ramutsindela

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-06-13

Total Pages: 295

ISBN-13: 3030148572

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The book draws upon the expertise and international research collaborations forged by the Worldwide Universities Network Global Africa Group to critically engage with the intersection, in theory and practice, of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s development agendas and needs. Further, it argues that – and demonstrates how – the SDGs should be understood as an aspirational blueprint for development with multiple meanings that are situated in dynamic and contested terrains. As the SDGs have substantial implications for development policy and resourcing at both the macro and micro levels, their relevance is not only context-specific but should also be assessed in terms of the aspirations and needs of ordinary citizens across the continent. Drawing on analyses and evidence from both the natural and social sciences, the book demonstrates that progress towards the SDGs must meet demands for improving human well-being under diverse and challenging socio-economic, political and environmental conditions. Examples include those from the mining industry, public health, employment and the media. In closing, it highlights how international collaboration in the form of research networks can enhance the production of critical knowledge on and engagement with the SDGs in Africa.

Youth and Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa

Youth and Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF

Author: Hiroyuki Hino

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-06-05

Total Pages: 435

ISBN-13: 1135127913

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It is widely acknowledged that youth unemployment is one of the most critical challenges facing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This volume brings together an eminent group of international scholars to analyse the extent and complex nature of this joblessness, and offer a set of evidence-based policy choices that could contribute to solving the problem in the short- and long-run. Part I reviews the existing literature on youth unemployment and underemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa from microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives, while Part II goes on to present detailed country studies of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. These studies offer a deep understanding of the situation on the ground and consider country-specific solutions. Throughout the book it is argued that the standard ILO definition of unemployment is too narrow to correctly portray employment situations in Sub-Saharan Africa. Several alternative measures of unemployment are presented, which show that joblessness is far more pervasive than commonly assumed in the literature. This volume will be of interest to academics and policy makers involved in African development.

Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa

Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF

Author: Deon Filmer

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2014-01-24

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 1464801088

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This book focuses on how to improve the quality of jobs and meet the aspirations of youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. It finds that a strong foundation for human capital development can be key to boosting earnings, arguing for a balanced approach that builds skills and demand for labor.

The Legal Empowerment Agenda

The Legal Empowerment Agenda PDF

Author: Dr Dan Banik

Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Published: 2013-03-28

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1409489310

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Despite providing society with a set of crucial services, large groups of workers in the informal economy are subject to exclusion and discrimination, and their lives are characterised by various types of vulnerabilities and deprivations that result from the denial of social, economic, political and legal protection. Although not new to the development vocabulary, the informal economy has received renewed attention in recent years largely due to the ILO's 'decent work' agenda and various efforts to promote 'legal empowerment of the poor'. With an explicit focus on labour rights, the book focuses on a nuanced understanding of the regulatory and operational challenges and dilemmas related to implementing the two approaches in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to analyzing structures and relations of power between the formal and the informal economies, the book critically discusses the work of governments, civil society organizations and the poor themselves to address the daily challenges of living in the informal economy.

Africa's Got Work to Do

Africa's Got Work to Do PDF

Author: Ms.Louise Fox

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2013-10-01

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13: 1475577087

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Estimates of the current and future structure of employment in sub-Saharan Africa (2005–20) are obtained based on household survey estimates for 28 countries and an elasticity-type model that relates employment to economic growth and demographic outcomes. Agriculture still employs the majority of the labor force although workers are shifting slowly out of the sector. Sub-Saharan Africa’s projected rapid labor force growth, combined with a low baseline level of private sector wage employment, means that even if sub-Saharan Africa realizes another decade of strong growth, the share of labor force employed in private firms is not expected to rise substantially. Governments need to undertake measures to attract private enterprises that provide wage employment, but they also need to focus on improving productivity in the traditional and informal sectors as these will continue to absorb the majority of the labor force.

Labor and the Growth Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa

Labor and the Growth Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF

Author:

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 1995-01-01

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 9780821333433

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Annotation Reviews labor market outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and analyzes what is required to spur economic growth through increased efficiency of physical and human capital. "World Development Report 1995: Workers in an Integrating World" examines ways of improving labor outcomes in low- and middle-income economies. This regional perspective focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa in relation to the four areas in need of labor policy reform that were identified in the Report: development strategy, international integration, labor market interventions, and transformation to greater market orientation. The paper reviews labor market outcomes in the region and analyzes what is required to achieve economic growth through increased efficiency of physical and human capital. It examines Africa's role in the world economy and why greater integration is essential to the region. It also discusses labor policies and how workers in the region are affected by the transition to open development strategies. The prospects for the region's growing labor force are briefly reviewed.

Urban Labor Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa

Urban Labor Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF

Author: Philippe De Vreyer

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2013-06-07

Total Pages: 463

ISBN-13: 0821397826

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Although labor is usually the unique asset upon which poor people can make a living, little is known about the functioning of labor markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this volume is to contribute to the building of knowledge in this area. In this book, the authors use a unique set of identical and simultaneous labor force surveys conducted in seven capitals of Western Africa, as well as in some other African countries (Cameroon, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo) in the 2000s. They present innovative and original results on how people are faring in these labour markets, using up-to-date econometric and statistical methods. Because so little is known about labor markets in the region, each chapter starts with detailed descriptive statistics that aim to shed light onto specific aspects of African urban labor markets. Comparisons between the ten cities are systematically carried out. Descriptive sections are followed by in-depth analyses on various issues. The book is divided into four parts that examine 13 topics. Part I presents the main stylised facts, which are investigated further in a more analytical way throughout the volume. Part II focuses on job quality and labor market conditions, such as unemployment and underemployment, vulnerability, and job satisfaction. Part III explores the many dimensions of labor market inequalities through various lenses, such as returns on education, segmentation, life-cycle inequality (with a particular focus on old age), inter-generational mobility, time related inequality, and gender and ethnic earnings discrimination. Part IV addresses some key coping mechanisms and private responses, with a focus on migration and child labor. The book concludes with recommendations for future research.

Decent rural employment, productivity effects and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa

Decent rural employment, productivity effects and poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa PDF

Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

Published: 2018-10-24

Total Pages: 39

ISBN-13:

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Promoting decent rural employment, by creating new jobs in rural areas and upgrading the existing ones, could be one of the most efficient pathways to reduce rural poverty. This paper systematically investigates the impact of decent rural employment on agricultural production efficiency in sub-Saharan African countries, taking Ethiopia and Tanzania as case countries. The analysis applies an output-oriented distance function approach with an estimation procedure that accounts for different technological, demographic, socio-economic, institutional and decent rural employment indicators. Data of the most recent round of Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) for the two countries are used, and a set of indicators are derived to proxy core dimensions of decent rural employment. The findings of our analysis show that decent rural employment contributes to agricultural production efficiency.