Abstract
In view of the efforts made by West African countries to increase women’s participation in the labour market, and especially in view of their high proportion of employment at high risk of vulnerability, this study, taking a macroeconomic approach, investigated the contribution of jobs at high risk of vulnerability to the economic growth of these countries according to their gender profile. In essence, it is a question of whether the employment vulnerability of men and women has differential effects on growth. To this end, the study covered thirteen West African countries during the period 1991-2018 due to data availability. In doing so, the study achieved two major results. First, employment at high risk of vulnerability is associated with lower economic growth regardless of gender. Second, there is no significant difference in the growth effects of these types of jobs for either women or men. Thus, the different employment policies of States must take into account the quality of the jobs that are offered tothe population. On the one hand, there is a need to strengthen monitoring of hiring practices and strengthen labour law texts to avoid a proliferation of vulnerable jobs. This requires the professionalizationof certain activities, including domestic work; the reduction of unpaid jobs and the implementation of an adequate and inclusive minimum wage system. On the other hand, macroeconomic policies for gender equality in the labour market must be pursued, but these must be accompanied by the formalisation of the jobs created. Of course, the actors in the informal system must be motivated to engage effectively in the formal system. This can be achieved through tax incentives, advantageous social safety nets and skills development.
KEYWORDS : Vulnerable employment; Gender; Growth; Panel; West Africa
CODE JEL : J16;O10; C23