“Employment in times of austerity”: Mouhammad Dieng’s warnings on the Senegalese labor market

Mouhammad Dieng, a political science doctoral student at UGB, warns about the potential risks to Senegal’s labor market in his opinion piece. He notes that the agreement with the IMF, amounting to approximately $2.2 billion over 36 months, aims for macroeconomic stability but may worsen unemployment by reducing the wage bill, restricting public hiring, and increasing reliance on self-employment through microfinance. Dieng emphasizes that economic stabilization does not necessarily lead to job creation, despite the government’s focus on reducing energy subsidies and expanding social grants.