The labor market in Senegal remains marked by strong pressures, with 19% unemployment and a large share of informal jobs. Young people and women are the most affected, while the government is developing a national employment policy to promote the creation of stable and productive jobs. This initiative aims to strengthen professional integration and support the structural transformation of the economy.
The job market in Senegal shows mixed trends in 2025. With an expanded unemployment rate of 19.2% in the third quarter of 2025, the country recorded a slight decrease compared to 2024, but young people and women remain particularly affected. Among the working-age population, 55% actively participate in the labor market, revealing still underutilized potential within the national economy. In this context, accelerating job creation has become a strategic priority.
“The national employment policy that we are about to finalize must meet a clear ambition: to build a public action system capable of promoting the massive creation of productive jobs, improving the employability of the workforce, and supporting the structural transformation of our economy.”
Cheikh Fatma Diop, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training – Senegal
With 5.22 million employed people in the third quarter, Senegal’s labor market remains dominated by the informal sector and self-employment, limiting the availability of stable and well-paid jobs. To address this issue, the Ministry of Employment is developing a national employment policy aimed at creating a coherent framework to guide public actions and strengthen youth employment integration. The policy seeks to promote the creation of productive jobs, improve workforce employability, and support the structural transformation of the economy.
“First, it is about strengthening job creation in sectors with strong growth and high economic transformation potential. Next, improving the employability of young people and women. It also involves promoting entrepreneurship and the development of the private sector, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Finally, it aims to strengthen labor market governance and ensure better coordination of public interventions in order to increase their efficiency and impact.”
Cheikh Fatma Diop, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training – Senegal
The policy also plans to strengthen labor market governance and better coordinate public interventions in order to increase their efficiency and impact. Through this initiative, the ministry aims to build a more effective and inclusive policy, capable of meeting the expectations of the population and sustainably supporting Senegal’s economic development.
