Unemployment remains a major challenge in Senegal, with an expanded rate of 20.3% recorded in the third quarter of 2024. This figure, revealed by the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD), marks an increase of 0, 8 points compared to the same period in 2023 (19.5%). This observation highlights a deep crisis, exacerbated by notable disparities linked to gender, place of residence, and the profile of young people.
Two definitions for a complex problem
The ANSD applies two methodologies to measure unemployment:
1. Strict unemployment: According to the International Labor Office (ILO), it concerns unemployed individuals, available for work, and having actively sought a position in the previous four weeks. For the third quarter of 2024, this rate is estimated at 5.3%.
2. Broad unemployment: More adapted to the Senegalese context, it includes unemployed individuals, available for work, but who have not actively sought employment for reasons beyond their control. This rate is 20.3%, better reflecting local realities.
A feminized crisis: Women, the first victims
The figures for the third quarter of 2024 highlight a real gender divide.
Widespread unemployment highlights marked gender disparities:
• Women: 32.9%, almost triple that of men.
• Men: 11.8%.
This difference can be explained by several factors:
1. Structural inequalities: Women face cultural and social obstacles that limit their access to the labor market, particularly in rural areas where traditional norms hinder their economic participation.
2. Double burden: Domestic and family responsibilities weigh heavily on women, reducing their availability to take up paid jobs.
3. Precarious opportunities: When they work, women are often confined to informal or precarious jobs, with few prospects for advancement.
These gaps are linked to several structural factors, including women’s limited access to the formal labor market, sociocultural barriers, and their concentration in informal or precarious sectors.
The weight of rural areas
Widespread unemployment is higher in rural areas (21.9%) than in urban areas (19.2%). In rural areas, dependence on agriculture exposes workers to climatic hazards and limits economic opportunities. Conversely, cities, although offering more formal jobs, face growing overpopulation and saturation of the urban labor market, worsened by rural exodus.
Young NEETs: A ticking time bomb
The ANSD report also highlights the situation of young people aged 15 to 24, not in employment, education or training (NEET). They represent 34.1% of this age group, a worrying rate which rises to 42.7% in rural areas and particularly affects young women (43.7%).
Socio-economic consequences
The repercussions of unemployment are multiple:
• Household impoverishment: Unemployment reduces purchasing power and access to essential services.
• Irregular migration: The lack of opportunities pushes many young people to attempt emigration, often at the risk of their lives.
• Social tensions: Inaction in the face of unemployment fuels frustrations and can accentuate social conflicts.
Recommendations for an effective response
To deal with this crisis, several actions are necessary:
1. Rural development: Invest in modern agriculture and rural infrastructure to diversify sources of income.
2. Support for entrepreneurship: Facilitate access to financing and training to encourage local economic initiatives.
3. Education and professional training: Adapt programs to the needs of growing sectors such as technology and renewable energies.
4. Reduction of gender inequalities: Implement policies to empower women economically.
With an unemployment rate reaching 20.3%, Senegal is facing a structural crisis that threatens its social cohesion and economic development. The situation of women, young people and rural areas calls for bold and inclusive policies to transform this crisis into an opportunity to revitalize the labor market.
