Jobs are critical to ending the cycle of poverty because they give people the opportunity to support themselves and their families. Policymakers focused on helping people move into the workforce often turn to vocational training and retraining programs. But do these actually improve people s...

Youth unemployment is a problem in many developing countries, where labor market opportunities may be further squeezed by rapid rural migration into big cities, the cost of higher education and job seekers' limited information about the best opportunities. Policymakers and aid organizations...

"The authors address the economic impact of the labor force training program (PAFPA) developed for the informal sector in Côte d'Ivoire. The data contain a subsample of the participants in the agricultural sector, tailoring sector, and the electronics sector, and a comparable control group of...

The main purpose of this report is to provide analytical inputs for the development of post-basic education reforms. Specifically, the report identifies and prioritizes: (i) the need for change in the structure, content and delivery of Madagascar's post-basic education and training system, and...

The main purpose of this report is to provide analytical inputs for the development of post-basic education reforms. Specifically, the report identifies and prioritizes: (i) the need for change in the structure, content and delivery of Madagascar's post-basic education and training system, and...

The Republic of Korea vaulted in less than three generations from being one of the poorest countries in the world to becoming a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This economic transformation has attracted considerable admiration and inquiry. One of the...

Grenada has faced various socioeconomic challenges within the last decade, including the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and the global financial crisis. As a result, economic indicators for Grenada illustrate unfavorable. Increases in the poverty and unemployment rates, especially...

Benin's labor market is characterized by a high participation rate, but extensive informality and underemployment. Underemployment is even higher among youth and rural women. The labor market is also extremely segregated by gender. Under the Benin Youth Employment Project(PEJ), closed in June...

This report provides an overview of Zambia's labor market, highlights key potential sectors for future economic development and employment growth, and analyses the challenges faced by the technical education, vocational, and entrepreneurship training (TEVET) system as it seeks to respond to...

Youth employment issues are a major concern for many countries because they have negative effects on the welfare of young people, and may also adversely affect economic performance and social stability. This is the first Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluation of the World Bank Group’s...