This book investigates youth employment programmes across nine African countries, providing important insights into the world’s youngest continent by population, in which 60% of people are aged under 25.

By 2050, the labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to be almost double the size of the labour force in high-income countries, representing a massive shift in the world’s working population, and providing a significant challenge for job creation. In this book, contributors bring together insights from more than 500 in-depth interviews and 1,500 focus group participants to consider whether youth employment programs are effectively reaching vulnerable groups. The book tackles the problem of political clientelism in the allocation of benefits and considers the level of coordination that is taking place across programs and political institutions.

Combining rich empirical findings with data about labour market outcomes and institutions, this book will be an important read for researchers wishing to understand the political economy of youth employment policy in Africa.