FHI 360’s labour market assessment as a tool for adapting interventions to reduce extreme poverty

Abstract

People were thrust back under the poverty line in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and conflict. As a result, the development community is exploring ways to mitigate the negative impact of this regression and help the poorest youth and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) recover by linking them to market-aligned livelihoods. This paper examines how FHI 360’s utilization of labour market assessments ensures that youth and AGYW programming is market-driven and aligned, linking the extreme poor to sustainable livelihood opportunities. Three cases are presented where FHI 360’s Labour Market Assessment (LMA) was used on projects that support extreme poor youth and AGYW who have been affected by conflict, health crises, and now COVID-19. Each case reviews how FHI 360’s LMA identified nuanced market opportunities for youth and AGYW programme participants.