Liberia - Employment and Pro-Poor Growth

Abstract

Fourteen years of civil conflict
 (1989-2003) have destroyed Liberia's social and
 economic infrastructure and brought the economy nearly to a
 halt. Workers who came of age during the conflict are
 largely unskilled, and the supply of workers exceeds demand
 by a substantial margin. The negative effects of
 unemployment, underemployment, and low productivity on
 economic growth have made employment the most urgent demand
 of the population and the top priority for Government
 action. This report offers guidance to the Government of
 Liberia in its development of a more strategic approach
 toward increasing productivity and employment, in order to
 achieve its pro-poor growth objectives. This report includes
 seven sections: employment is key for poverty reduction; one
 in five workers is unemployed or underemployed; the
 structure of Liberia's economy limits prospects for
 formal sector employment; transformation of the agriculture
 sector is essential for pro-poor growth; investment and job
 growth in the formal sector are constrained by three main
 factors; labor-intensive public works programs are necessary
 for the very poor; and education and training must be
 improved to enhance employability.