2017年-世界发展银行全球_Sierra_Leone___Jobs_Diagnostic_75页_1mb

报告摘要

Sierra Leone Jobs Diagnostic Summary

Core Content

This report, titled "Sierra Leone Jobs Diagnostic", is a comprehensive analysis of the country's job creation performance, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in generating employment that can lift people out of poverty. It is a product of the World Bank Group's Jobs Group, with principal authors Alvaro S. Gonzalez and Veronica Michel Gutierrez. The report is supported by various international donors and agencies, including the Department for International Development/UK AID, Norway, Germany, Austria, the Austrian Development Agency, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

The report outlines the economic structure, labor market dynamics, and firm performance in Sierra Leone, aiming to inform strategies for inclusive and sustainable job creation. It emphasizes the need for a more diversified economy and better investment in human capital to improve employment prospects and reduce inequality.

Main Points

Economic Structure and Growth

Economic Volatility: Sierra Leone's economy is highly volatile and undiversified, making it susceptible to macroeconomic shocks.
Postwar Growth: After the 10-year civil war (2002), the economy experienced strong growth, averaging 7.6% annual GDP growth from 2003 to 2014, which was higher than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Sectoral Contributions: Economic growth in the postwar period was heavily reliant on the mining sector (78% of GDP growth in 2014), particularly iron ore and diamond exports. In contrast, the agriculture sector, which employs the majority of the workforce, contributed only 7% to GDP growth.
Employment-Output Disconnection: Despite significant GDP growth, employment growth has not kept pace, indicating a weak link between economic output and job creation.

Labor Supply and Market Segmentation

High Unemployment and Underemployment: A third of the working-age population is not in the labor force, and underemployment is particularly high among youth and women.
Informal Employment Dominance: Informal employment remains the norm, with limited opportunities for formal-sector jobs.
Segmentation: The labor market is segmented, with access to "good" jobs restricted for certain groups based on human capital (education, health).
Education Gaps: Low levels of education and training, especially among women and rural populations, hinder access to better employment opportunities.

Firm Performance and Investment Climate

Firm-Level Challenges: Firms in Sierra Leone face a constrained investment climate and operate in a volatile environment, limiting their ability to create jobs.
Commercial Sector: The commercial sector is large in terms of the number of firms but contributes relatively few jobs.
Manufacturing Sector: The manufacturing sector is small and operates in the low-cost, low-skill, and low-pay niche.
Potential for Growth: If economic volatility is reduced and the investment climate improves, the manufacturing sector could potentially employ more low-skilled workers.

Key Findings

Job Creation Needs: With a growing working-age population, Sierra Leone needs to create approximately 100,000 new jobs annually to meet labor market demand.
Inclusive Growth: The challenge is to ensure that economic growth is inclusive and benefits all segments of society, including the most disadvantaged.
High Inequality: The Gini coefficient remains high, with 50% of national income concentrated in the top 20% of the population.
Investment Importance: Sustained economic growth requires long-term investments in key sectors, which can generate employment and productivity gains.
Volatility Impact: Economic volatility reduces investment, suppresses job creation, and makes it difficult to sustain growth and employment outcomes.

Conclusion

The report underscores the importance of addressing the structural issues in Sierra Leone's economy, including its lack of diversification, high vulnerability to shocks, and limited opportunities for the working population. It calls for a focused effort to create good jobs, improve the quality of employment, and ensure that growth is inclusive and sustainable. This diagnostic serves as a starting point for a broader dialogue among government, private sector, NGOs, and donors to develop a strategy for job creation that benefits all segments of society.

Key Information

Grant Support: The report was made possible by a grant from the Jobs Umbrella Trust Fund.
License: It is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO license.
Contact for Rights and Permissions: Queries should be directed to World Bank Publications at pubrights@worldbank.org.
Project Number: P156896
Publication Year: 2017
Authors: Alvaro S. Gonzalez and Veronica Michel Gutierrez
Supporting Agencies: World Bank Group, Department for International Development/UK AID, Norway, Germany, Austria, the Austrian Development Agency, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Appendices

Annex A: Firm-level data summary statistics
Annex B: Missing data and reported zeros
Annex C: Multivariate regressions
Annex D: Administrative map of Sierra Leone

Figures and Data

Figure 1: Illustrates the concentration of Sierra Leone's economy in agriculture.
Figure 2: Shows that private consumption dominates aggregate demand.
Figure 3: Highlights the weak correlation between employment growth and GDP growth.
Figure 4: Compares the employment elasticity in Sierra Leone with other countries.
Figure 5: Demonstrates the less sustained economic growth compared to other economies.
Figure 6: Depicts the volatility of Sierra Leone's economic growth rate.

This report is a critical step toward understanding and addressing the job creation challenges in Sierra Leone, providing a foundation for future policy and investment decisions.

展开完整摘要