In Africa, only few wage and salary jobs open up each year. Hence, most new entrants in the labor market end up supporting themselves in casual labor, self-employment, or small family businesses-activities with low productivity and highly vulnerable.

In Africa, only few wage and salary jobs open up each year. Hence, most new entrants in the labor market end up supporting themselves in casual labor, self-employment, or small family businesses-activities with low productivity and highly vulnerable. With the globalizing economy, African economies need to become more competitive in all aspects of the investment climate, including improving worker's health and education, to better integrate the informal sector with the high wage economy. However, the analysis of labor markets in Africa is hampered by the lack of data which measures the economic activity earnings, and welfare of the household.