Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa

Western Africa: Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers was 17,702 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
17,702
Change on year
up 3.0%
Rank
36th
of 87 groups
All-time high
17,863
in 2020
All-time low
11,875
in 2004
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa, 2004–2027

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k2004201520272004: 11.9k2005: 12.1k2006: 12.3k2007: 12.5k2008: 12.8k2009: 13.0k2010: 13.2k2011: 13.5k2012: 13.7k2013: 13.9k2014: 14.6k2015: 15.5k2016: 16.3k2017: 15.6k2018: 16.1k2019: 16.2k2020: 17.9k2021: 17.1k2022: 16.8k2023: 16.1k2024: 16.2k2025: 16.7k2026: 17.2k2027: 17.7k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa stood at 17,702.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa peaked at 17,863 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 11,875, in 2004.

Western Africa ranks 36th of 87 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers (ILO modelled estimates) in Western Africa, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 11,875
2005 12,100 +1.9%
2006 12,288 +1.6%
2007 12,533 +2.0%
2008 12,771 +1.9%
2009 13,035 +2.1%
2010 13,207 +1.3%
2011 13,481 +2.1%
2012 13,741 +1.9%
2013 13,852 +0.8%
2014 14,552 +5.0%
2015 15,454 +6.2%
2016 16,290 +5.4%
2017 15,646 -4.0%
2018 16,064 +2.7%
2019 16,177 +0.7%
2020 17,863 +10.4%
2021 17,113 -4.2%
2022 16,774 -2.0%
2023 16,083 -4.1%
2024 16,172 +0.6%
2025 16,670 +3.1%
2026 17,182 +3.1%
2027 17,702 +3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 12,433 11,875 13,035 6
2010s 14,846 13,207 16,290 10
2020s 16,945 16,083 17,863 8

More work & labour data for Western Africa

All data for Western Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa?
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa was 17,702 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers recorded in Western Africa?
The highest recorded value was 17,863 in 2020.
What is the lowest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers recorded in Western Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 11,875 in 2004.
How does Western Africa rank for potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers?
Western Africa ranks 36th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rising or falling in Western Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Western 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.

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Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in Western Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-and-willing-non-jobseekers-ilo-modelled-estimates/western-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

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.