NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 19 – World Data Lab, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, today launched the Africa Youth Employment Clock, which is designed to enhance understanding and promote inclusivity within African labor markets.
The initiative is designed to enhance understanding and promote inclusivity within African labor markets.
It utilizes advanced data modeling and visualization techniques to monitor real-time job growth and predict employment trends in Africa up to 2030.
“We are proud to partner with the Mastercard Foundation to launch the Africa Youth Employment Clock. We believe in the power of youth employment data in Africa, offering the basis for more informed decision-making,” said Wolfgang Fengler, CEO, Word Data Lab.
“The Clock will allow governments, private sector, and young people to have access to more nuanced data on the concrete youth employment questions they have.”
The tool provides detailed insights by breaking down data according to key variables such as employment status, age, gender, and sector.
By drawing from various sources, including national statistics offices, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Clock aims to serve as a central hub for comprehensive youth employment data on the continent.
Its primary objective is to empower policymakers, development actors, and other stakeholders within the youth and labor ecosystems to make informed strategic decisions.
WDL projections have indicated that Africa will experience its highest ever youth population growth between 2021 and 2030, with the population expected to increase by almost 100 million between 2023 and 2030.
“It gives me great honour to be part of this important convening, centred on better understanding youth employment in Kenya from a data lens,” said Raymond Ouma, Secretary for Youth Affairs.
“I commend the World Data Lab and Mastercard Foundation teams for prioritizing this undertaking.”
