Abstract

This study aimed at establishing the effect of demographic characteristics on employment in Sub Saharan Africa. The study used data ranging from the year 1990 to the year 2015 that was obtained from the data banks of World Bank and FAOSTAT. The panel data that was obtained and used was for 30 Sub-Saharan African Countries. The traditional Neo classical production function was utilized in this study in estimating the regression results. Hausman test was carried out and it determined that fixed effects estimations were preferred to random effects and as a consequence, random effects estimations were made use of during the analysis of data. In establishing the relationship between demographic characteristics and employment, demographic characteristics, imports and services sectors variables were found to statistically and significantly influence employment. However, domestic capital was found to negatively influence employment though this was not statistically significant, while exports was found negatively and statistically significantly influencing employment.

Highlights

  • 1.1 Background to the studyThe African countries have realized high economic growth rates in the last decade, but this has not translated to majority of the people in this region reaping benefits from the growth

  • Data of 30 sub Saharan African countries was sourced from the World Bank, World development indicators and Faostat for a period of 26 years

  • The results as presented in table 1 presents elasticity’s of demographic characteristics that is stratified into various age groups which constitute of L1 comprising of children below 15 years of age, L2 constituting of 15 to 64 years of age, which comprise of the working population, L3 constituting those above 64 years of age and L4 constituting of a combination of dependant population (L1 + L3), domestic capital, imports, exports, service sector, women in employment, and men in employment in Sub Saharan Africa

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Summary

Introduction

1.1 Background to the studyThe African countries have realized high economic growth rates in the last decade, but this has not translated to majority of the people in this region reaping benefits from the growth. Africa has a young population that can make the continent economically prosperous in the coming decades, but this will only take place if proper policies and programs are put in place, but implemented, which will encourage enhancement of opportunities for the youthful population, and as well reduce fertility rate among women. This will result in emergence of a larger workforce that will be better educated and that has fewer children that will as well in turn be in a position of acquiring better education and as a result garner the required skills for employment. This will happen if institutions are made stronger and much more viable economic policies are put in place and implemented (Ashford 2007)

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