Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers was 57,792 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2027, potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 57,792. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 32.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 57,792 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 31,004, in 2004.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 11th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 31,004 | — |
| 2005 | 31,464 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 32,034 | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 32,706 | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 33,528 | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 34,994 | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 36,303 | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 37,041 | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 37,794 | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 38,115 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 39,484 | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 41,200 | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 43,149 | +4.7% |
| 2017 | 43,624 | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 45,662 | +4.7% |
| 2019 | 47,505 | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 52,954 | +11.5% |
| 2021 | 50,860 | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 51,608 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 51,021 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 52,551 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | 54,568 | +3.8% |
| 2026 | 56,150 | +2.9% |
| 2027 | 57,792 | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32,622 | 31,004 | 34,994 | 6 |
| 2010s | 40,988 | 36,303 | 47,505 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53,438 | 50,860 | 57,792 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 70.23 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 71.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 70.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Sub-Saharan Africa was 57,792 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 57,792 in 2027.
- What is the lowest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 31,004 in 2004.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 11th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers includes those who have been recently searching for a job but are not available to work within a short reference period, those who have not searched recently for a job, but they are available to work within a short reference period, and finally those who do not fall in neither of the previous categories but that wanted employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.