A pro-employment macroeconomic policy framework for Africa

The text argues that traditional market-centric macroeconomic policies focused on stabilisation have failed to generate sufficient employment in Africa, despite periods of economic growth. It advocates for a shift toward a 'transformative' role for macroeconomic policy that coordinates with sectoral and labour market policies to drive structural transformation and decent employment.

• Economic growth in African countries since 2002 has not consistently translated into improved employment outcomes, a disconnect attributed to a lack of structural transformation, specifically low economic diversification and high commodity dependence.
• Existing market-centric macroeconomic policy regimes focused on stabilisation are insufficient for employment generation; instead, a pro-employment framework is required based on four postulates: the integration of macroeconomic, sectoral, and labour market policies; a leading role for macroeconomic policy; the use of both demand- and supply-side measures; and the direct targeting of employment objectives.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has severely damaged employment outcomes across Africa and is expected to reverse previous gains in the region.

APA

Mueller, B., Isaacs, G., & Strauss, I. (2022). A pro-employment macroeconomic policy framework for Africa. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/resource/contribution/a-pro-employment-macroeconomic-policy-framework-for-africa-chapter-4/

Chicago

Mueller, Bernd, Gilad Isaacs, and Ilan Strauss. A pro-employment macroeconomic policy framework for Africa. Institute for Economic Justice, 2022. https://iej.org.za/resource/contribution/a-pro-employment-macroeconomic-policy-framework-for-africa-chapter-4/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mueller |first1=Bernd |last2=Isaacs |first2=Gilad |last3=Strauss |first3=Ilan |title=A pro-employment macroeconomic policy framework for Africa |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |date=20 July 2022 |url=https://iej.org.za/resource/contribution/a-pro-employment-macroeconomic-policy-framework-for-africa-chapter-4/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mueller2022proemployment, author = {Mueller, Bernd and Isaacs, Gilad and Strauss, Ilan}, title = {{A pro-employment macroeconomic policy framework for Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://iej.org.za/resource/contribution/a-pro-employment-macroeconomic-policy-framework-for-africa-chapter-4/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }