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Employment Vulnerability and Earnings in Urban West Africa

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  • Bocquier, Philippe
  • Nordman, Christophe J.
  • Vescovo, Aude

Abstract

Summary This article develops indicators of vulnerability in employment in seven economic capitals of West Africa and studies their links with individual incomes. Quantitative, distributional and qualitative analyses show that vulnerability compensating mechanism is mainly seen in the informal sector, in the upper tail of the earnings distribution and particularly in the circumstance of visible underemployment. Employment vulnerability is not compensated for the poorest workers in the private sector. Long "job queues" and weak institutional protection of workers may have reduced bargaining power in the formal sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Bocquier, Philippe & Nordman, Christophe J. & Vescovo, Aude, 2010. "Employment Vulnerability and Earnings in Urban West Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 1297-1314, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:38:y:2010:i:9:p:1297-1314
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    vulnerability working conditions compensating differentials earnings informal sector West Africa;

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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