Africa’s jobs problem is bigger than unemployment

Africa’s unemployment rate looks relatively low by global standards. In 2025, the continent’s rate stood at 6.3%. But that figure tells only part of the story. More than a third of employed Africans live in working poverty; they are employed but live below the poverty line of $2.15 a day. Most workers are informally employed, and fewer than one in five people have social protection coverage.

Having a job does not necessarily mean earning enough to support a household, escaping…