Urban Youth Labour Supply and Employment Policy in Cote d'Ivoire

This study analyses the challenges of creating employment for the urban youth in Ca´te d'Ivoire and the government's policies in this respect. The study is essentially about identifying the determinants of job creation for the youth and to assess government policies aimed at guaranteeing access to employment by the youth. The study used secondary and primary data. The secondary data were obtained mainly from household surveys carried out in 1993, 1995, 1998 and 2002. A study on the integration of young people into the world of work was then conducted to assess government policies on this matter. The results of this survey indicate a predominance of social capital over human capital in the process of integrating young people into employment, a state of affairs that led to unequal opportunities for the youth in the job market. Measures aimed at ensuring equal opportunities were then taken by the government. Despite the fact that these measures did not necessarily target the right beneficiaries, they produced a positive effect in terms of access to employment and improvement in working conditions. Consequently, much still needs to be done to enhance the effectiveness of these measures. What essentially needs to be done is to set strict selection criteria targeting the most disadvantaged populations.