Description:
Unemployment, especially youth
unemployment, is a serious problem for the Republic of
Congo. Despite the economic recovery and political
stabilization in the last decade, insufficient employment
has been created, leading to high unemployment rates,
especially for the young population in urban areas. This
situation of jobless growth has been caused by a number of
factors, including the dominance of the public sector in the
past, the limited activity of the private sector, the
undiversified economy, a mismatch between the skills
required by employers and those offered by job seekers and a
regulatory and institutional environment that is not fully
supportive of employment creation. Action needs to be taken
now to promote inclusive growth in the non-oil sectors and
create sufficient employment opportunities. It is essential
to remove the major obstacles to non-oil growth and
employment creation. This employment and growth study seeks
to provide recommendations to address the main challenges
regarding non-oil growth and employment creation. The
results of the study will help to inform government policy,
especially in the context of the new PRSP that is currently
being elaborated and the National Employment Policy that is
under preparation. Based on extensive analytical work,
actions are recommended to improve labor demand, labor
supply and the regulatory and institutional framework.