Unearthing productive employment: a diagnostic tool for sub-Saharan Africa

Work plays a fundamental role in people’s lives. Not only is it a critical source of income, but it also empowers people, gives them a sense of purpose and strengthens social cohesion. Decent and stable work provides the security necessary for individuals and their family members to thrive in society. In fact, labour is often the only asset available to the poor, with its earnings providing the main path out of poverty. Generating productive employment opportunities for vulnerable groups of society is therefore essential to promote inclusive economic and social development. There is a growing consensus that employment should be viewed as a central policy objective, rather than as a by-product of the economic process.1 Although strong and sustained economic growth is necessary to create more and better jobs, the relationship is not always straightforward. The type of growth also matters. Growth concentrated in employment-intensive sectors and in areas where the poor and vulnerable live is likely to yield large development payoffs. Therefore, it is important to assess where progress has been made and to identify key opportunities and obstacles to the creation of productive employment. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa face considerable employment challenges. • The type of economic growth matters for employ ment creation and poverty reduction.