The poverty challenge in Africa: placing decent employment at the heart of the battle

This chapter in the UNECA's "Economic report on Africa 2005" examines the prominent features of the poverty challenge in Africa. It outlines the analytical links between growth, employment and poverty to show that employment is a major route out of poverty. The paper also identifies the employment gaps of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) and provides recommendations for strengthening the employment intensity of the growth process and for mainstreaming employment policies in poverty reduction strategies.

The paper finds that:

• poverty in Africa is widespread, chronic, gender-biased and pervasive among the labour force
• the high incidence of poverty among workers suggests that an employment-intensive growth process underpinned by rising productivity is key to reducing poverty
• measures that create strong and sustainable employment opportunities for poor people and empower them to benefit from newly created jobs will be instrumental in reducing the incidence of poverty.

The paper recommends the following:

• stimulating employment growth can be achieved by promoting the adoption of labour-intensive techniques, encouraging export diversification, reducing taxes on producer prices and maximising private sector job creation
• promoting productive employment requires such measures as improved public sector efficiency, maximised physical and financial access to health systems for the poor and improved infrastructure and institutional reforms to address physical and institutional barriers to markets
• social protection schemes are needed to provide safety nets for those who invariably fall through the cracks
• strengthening the employment focus of Africa's development programmes can be sustained by encouraging greater participation of trade unions, labour ministries and labour friendly organisations in the PRSP process.

[adapted from author]