Services industry and its potential for youth and women employment in an African context : a review of the literature

Abstract

The evidence from macro productivity models drawn from the African Sector Database (ASD) suggest African countries underwent a structural transformation towards services activities that were not technologically dynamic. Performance of the agricultural sector is found to significantly influence the rate of job growth in the rest of the economy. As such, the service sector is dependent on agricultural productivity growth for employment growth. Likewise, the diversification of the work force is linked to economic transformation. This paper provides a critical review of available literature on sectorial employment in African countries and assesses the impact of services sector employment on youth and women.