Analysis by ACEIR researchers showed that, by 2050, Africa will be the only region in the world with a growing working-age population; while, by 2100, sub-Saharan Africa will be home to almost all the additional working-age people entering the market.
One primary way that labour markets contribute to inequality is through wage disparities that often stem from differences in education, skills, experience, and bargaining power among workers. Importantly, labour markets are influenced by broader socio-economic factors such as discrimination, gender, and racial biases, which can lead to unequal access to opportunities and further entrench existing inequalities. ACEIR’s research aim to bear evidence on some of these dynamics of the labour market and inequality.
Projects and studies
Just Energy Transition and Green Jobs Project
South Africa’s shift towards a decarbonised economy requires a just transition strategy that will not worsen the high inequalities that already exist in the country. Following the first Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) set up in 2022 between the South African government and the International Partners Group, policymakers need a better understanding of the transition’s potential impact on jobs, the skills required to transition into new opportunities, and the interventions needed to grow such skills in the labour market. The Green Jobs project aims to contribute to the evidence base on the employment effects of the “green economy” transition. This research, led by the Youth Explorer team of the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, is in partnership with ACEIR’s South Africa node, and the Human Sciences Research Council. Read more
Education and labour market dynamics in a period of rapid education expansion: Building evidence from existing Ghanaian survey data sources
In Ghana, access to education has been enhanced policies to provide free compulsory primary education since 1996, and free secondary school education since 2017. This project is now investigating the consequences of these free schooling policies. The research will provide evidence on trends in education and labour market dynamics; the socioeconomic consequences of the reform to free education; and how these differ for men and women. Another major contribution of the project is to collate a database of information on education, jobs, gender, and labour market activities; and to conduct training on data management and analysis. The project is led by the Siyaphambili Post-school Research Initiative of the Southern Africa Labour and Development Resesarch Unit, University of Cape Town and is in collaboration with researchers from ACEIR’s Ghana and South Africa nodes. Read more
A diagnostic of inequality in Namibia
This project builds on ACEIR’s series of inequality diagnostics by undertaking a comprehensive analysis of the different dimensions of inequalities in Namibia, highlighting the key drivers, and reviewing implemented policies to address such inequalities. The study is in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation as part of the ILO’s strategy to reduce and prevent inequalities in the world of work. By providing data to inform policy and programme design to address the structural challenges to jobs and social protection in the Namibian economy, this research will link to the roll-out of the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions that was launched by the UN Secretary-General in in 2021. Read more