Publications /
Opinion

Back
Jobless growth : still a question mark…
Authors
Youssef Tobi
December 15, 2017
Related topics: 
Economy
Sectorial policies and structural transformation
Africa

The In-focus session about Jobless Growth during the Atlantic Dialogues on December 14th led to a passionate debate on the future impact of jobless growth on Africa as well as the world economy.

« Jobless growth » was coined by the American economist Nick Perna (Yale) in the early 1990s. The causes of this phenomenon are highly discussed. For instance, automation is seen as the main source of jobless growth by some economists while others argue that it falls into a « Luddite Fallacy » where it is expected that technological progress will have no long term impact on employment levels, and eventually will raise wages for all workers.

Is digitalization the future source of jobless growth ? 

There is no consensus on how technology is going to impact the labor market. With a foreseeable revolution, artificial intelligence and big data could threaten high and low skilled jobs. For example, there is already an IBM software called ROSS capable of giving legal advice. As we all know, cashier jobs are already being replaced by dedicated softwares. Moreover, one could argue about the place of data analysis and the new comparative advantage it could give to companies. This technology could allow the identification of clients but also target competitors in the market. This new dimension of the world economy could lead to a more competitive market, and a more opaque labor market.

Is jobless growth inevitable ? 

Increasing demographics impose a reflexion about employment. The millions of young people that are coming into the labor market should find job opportunities. Yet, the inedequacy between the education offer and the labor market demand leads to unemployment even for the highly qualified individuals. How is the world economy going to capture the mass of youth looking for jobs, especially in Africa ? The question remains. 
 

RELATED CONTENT

  • Download PDF
    RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK : Industrial Policy for Resource-Rich African Least Developed Economies-Transforming Wealth into Productive Capacity
    Authors
    Hinh T. Dinh
    August 5, 2026
    This paper addresses the persistent challenge of resource dependence in the world's poorest countries, focusing on the ten poorest African nations where natural- resource rents average 14% of income. It argues that four decades of conventional policy advice, which treated resource dependence primarily as a revenue management problem, have failed to help these countries. While stabilization funds and permanent-income frameworks aim to smooth consumption, they do not answer the fundam ...
  • Download PDF
    DEVELOPMENT AS DIPLOMACY : China’s Economic Model and the Rewriting of Soft Power
    Authors
    Marcus Vinicius de Freitas
    August 3, 2026
    This policy paper explores how China’s economic development model—rooted in pragmatism, long-term planning, and civilizational renewal—has become its most compelling soft power asset, particularly in the eyes of the Global South. While critically engaging with Joseph Nye’s original conception of soft power as a primarily cultural and normative force, the paper argues that China’s ability to transform itself from an impoverished postimperial state into the world’s largest trading nat ...
  • Annual Report on the African Economy 2026
    Authors
    Edited by
    Larabi Jaïdi
    July 13, 2026
    Available soon on livremoi. The 2026 edition of the Annual Report on the African Economy examines the issue of the valorization of Africa’s natural resources, particularly its mineral wealth. While the continent holds some of the world’s largest known reserves of a wide range of minerals and metals, the objective is not merely to catalogue these resources, but rather to explore the conditions under which natural resource endowments can be transformed into drivers of Africa’s in ...
  • Download PDF
    Morocco as a Connector State: A Winning Strategy in a Fragmented World
    Authors
    Abdelaaziz Ait Ali
    Mahmoud Arbouch
    Fahd Azaroual
    Karim El Aynaoui
    Adnane Lahzaoui
    July 3, 2026
    This Policy Paper has also been published in French and Spanish by Le Grand Continent Morocco offers a compelling example of how a middle-income economy can navigate a more fragmented global environment, characterized by weak growth and slower convergence. Since 2022, economic activity has remained relatively strong, with growth exceeding that of many comparable economies. Non-agricultural growth has averaged 4.4% since 2022, around 1.3 percentage points above its historical av ...
  • La estrategia del Estado conector está haciendo que Marruecos salga ganando
    Authors
    Abdelaaziz Ait Ali
    Mahmoud Arbouch
    Fahd Azaroual
    Karim El Aynaoui
    Adnane Lahzaoui
    July 3, 2026
    This Policy Paper has also been published in French and Spanish by Le Grand Continent La economía marroquí constituye un caso ilustrativo entre las economías de renta media, en un contexto marcado por una creciente fragmentación del entorno internacional, un crecimiento mundial anémico y una desaceleración de la convergencia. Desde 2022, su trayectoria se caracteriza por una relativa solidez, con un crecimiento superior a la media de las economías de la misma categoría. Superio ...
  • La stratégie de l’État connecteur est en train de faire gagner le Maroc
    Authors
    Abdelaaziz Ait Ali
    Mahmoud Arbouch
    Fahd Azaroual
    Karim El Aynaoui
    Adnane Lahzaoui
    July 3, 2026
    This Policy Paper has also been published in French and Spanish by Le Grand Continent Le Maroc offre un exemple éclairant parmi les pays à revenu intermédiaire, dans un contexte marqué par une fragmentation croissante de l’environnement international, une croissance mondiale atone et un ralentissement de la convergence. Depuis 2022, sa trajectoire se distingue par une certaine robustesse, avec un rythme d’expansion supérieur à celui des autres économies de même catégorie. Dépas ...
  • Download PDF
    Should Africa Go Nuclear?
    Authors
    Hafez Ghanem
    July 2, 2026
    Africa is facing a massive electricity deficit that is impacting its economic and social development, and its ability to catch up with the rest of the world. It is imperative that the continent increase its electricity production to connect the 600 million people who are currently without access and to improve the quality of service for the millions who are suffering from frequent blackouts and load-shedding. Economic development in the 21st century will crucially depend on the digi ...