Unemployment in Senegal

Senegal is the third among the ten countries most affected by unemployment in the world with
48% according to the ILO (International Labor Organization). This situation is one of the main
causes that push the country into poverty.
Firstly, we will try to explain the causes of the rising unemployment rate and at the end we will
propose some solutions to fight this scourge.

The causes of the rising unemployment rate in Senegal are multiple.

The lack of vocational training for a large part of the population is the main factor there, thus leading
to a blockage of entrepreneurship and a lack of qualified employees for companies. These will then go
bankrupt and thus encourage the rising unemployment rate. Although this lack of training does not
affect the entire population, the lack of financial means almost does. Because many young project
leaders are blocked after their studies by a lack of means. They will then be forced to leave their
projects and activate in areas other than those in which they are trained. This is the case of many
students who, after long years of study, have found themselves in the informal sector to be able to
meet their needs. From a governmental perspective, these two causes are mainly favored by a bad
higher education policy but also by an unequal distribution of goods and services. In fact, most of the
goods and services have gathered in Dakar, leading to a massive rural exodus from other regions to
the capital, killing all their economic activity and creating a lack of jobs there.
The fight against the unemployment in Senegal is an exclusive fight to the government. The latter
should increase their efforts in the vocational training of young people, provide means for the
development of research and innovation for students and finally support them for the implementation
of their projects. This would lead to the growth of entrepreneurship and further reduce the
unemployment rate. The government has also to implement an efficient policy to equalize the
distribution of goods and services and sustain the economy of other regions affected by the rural
exodus. This will facilitate the integration of their inhabitants into the professional environment.

To fight poverty in Senegal, we must first be engaged to reduce the unemployment rate. And for that,
multiplate the vocational trainings, furnish financial means and decentralize the capital Dakar should
be the priorities. However, to realize these solutions, the state should put itself at the center of all the
operations.

WRITERS
AMETH SYLLA
AHMADOU NDIAYE
MOR NDOYE
ALASANE KALIDOU DIA