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AFRICAN EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
April 2007
Released 24 April 2007
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Press release:
English
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Widespread economic growth and increased productivity in Africa has been insufficient to reduce the growing numbers of
unemployed and working poor in Africa. This is the main finding of the first African Employment Trends Report written for
the ILO’s 11th African Regional Meeting to be held on 24-27 April in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The unemployment rate in Africa
stood at 10.3 per cent in 2006 and the share of people who, despite the fact that they work, still live with their families
below the US$1 a day poverty line is nowhere in the world higher than in Africa. And perspectives are not bright either: It
is estimated in the report that, between 2006 and 2015, the percentage of persons working but still living on less than US$2
per person in the household, per day will decrease from 78.6 per cent to 76.4 per cent, but the number will increase from
260.3 million to 316.7 million. Meanwhile, the percentage of working people living on less than US$1 a day per family member
will decrease from 46.2 to 44.1, but the number will increase from 152.8 million to 182.9 million.
Why is this the case? The Report tries to find answers to this question by analysing the latest labour market data available
for Africa. But it also takes other social and economic challenges such as HIV/AIDS, migration and child labour into account
to explain the reasons for Africa’s struggle against poverty. Such an analysis can help to design effective poverty reduction
policies which could help the poor take advantage of the employment opportunities generated by growth.
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GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT TRENDS FOR WOMEN
BRIEF March 2007
Released 7 March 2007
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During the 1980s and 1990s women’s participation in labour markets worldwide grew substantially. This gave rise to
expectations that increased opportunities and economic autonomy for women would bring greater gender equality. To
help determine the extent to which such hopes are being realized, it is necessary to analyse women’s labour market
trends in more detail. To this end, the Global Employment Trends for Women Brief 2007 focuses on whether the
tendency toward increased participation has continued more recently and whether women have found enough decent
and productive jobs to really enable them to use their potential in the labour market and achieve economic
independence.
The approach is based on updates and analysis of a number of major labour market indicators. These include:
labour force participation; unemployment; sector and status of employment; wages/earnings; and education and
skills. Taken together, they show whether women who want to work actually do so, whether women find it harder
to get a job than men, differences in the type of work done by women and men and equality of treatment in
areas ranging from pay to education and training.
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GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
BRIEF January 2007
Released 25 January 2007
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Press release:
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The number of people unemployed worldwide remained at an historical high in 2006 despite strong global economic growth.
Even though more people are working globally than ever before, the number of unemployed remained at an all time high of
195.2 million in 2006 or at a global rate of 6.3 per cent. This rate of unemployment rate was almost unchanged from the
previous year. This confirmed the trend of the past several years in which robust economic growth has failed to translate
into significant reductions in unemployment or poverty among those in work.
The pattern looks set to continue in 2007, with a forecast growth rate of 4.9 per cent likely to ensure that unemployment
remains at about last year’s level. The persistence of joblessness at this rate is of concern, given that it will be
difficult to sustain such strong economic growth indefinitely. Moreover, while the percentage of working poor in total
employment declined in the past ten years, the number of working people living on US$2 a day has continued to grow in
absolute numbers, reaching 1.37 billion in 2006. To make long-term inroads into unemployment and working poverty, it is
essential that periods of strong growth be better used to generate more decent and productive jobs. Reducing unemployment
and working poverty through creation of such jobs should be viewed as a precondition for sustained economic growth.
Some labour market challenges are the same in almost all regions: for example, young people have more difficulties in labour
markets than adults and women do not get the same opportunities as men. Other challenges vary between regions, which is why
this year’s Global Employment Trends Brief outlines each region’s labour market performance as well as key challenges.
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Video: Global Employment Trends press conference
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Video coverage
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Opening statement by J.M. Salazar-Xirinachs-Executive director of ILO Employment sector
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