Supporting Youth Insertion into the African Labor Market

In Africa, as in the rest of the world, youth employment is a major concern—maybe even more so in Africa than elsewhere. Africa is the region that has the highest proportion of youth in the world when compared to its total population. Access to jobs, especially for youth, is a top priority for national policies and civil societies in Africa, as well as for development partners. It is an issue that drives actors to propose new responses, especially to deal with underemployment and job insecurity. In the last several years, more cross-cutting support measures have been tested to help youth in contexts where few can manage to obtain or evolve in employment conditions that satisfy them. This publication presents the policies and programs implemented by local governments and operators of the sector, as well as reflections carried out by international institutions, as well as by technical and financial partners on support for youth insertion.