For the second quarter of the year 2025, the unemployment rate decreased by 2.6 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024, according to the National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD), as reported by Walf Quotidien.
In the second quarter of the year 2025, 56.5% of working-age individuals (15 years and older) participated in the labor market. The level of activity is lower among youth (48.2%) than among adults (69.0%), as specified by the ANSD in its latest report published by Walf Quotidien. “Men have a higher labor force participation rate than women, both in urban areas (65.4% compared to 46.4% for women) and in rural areas (68.3% compared to 47.7% for women), for all age groups,” the document highlights.
Furthermore, the report continued by Walf Quotidien states that the participation level is generally higher in rural areas (57.5%) than in urban areas (55.8%). On an annual basis, the activity rate decreased by 1.1 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024 (57.6%).
Unemployment rate
For the second quarter of the year 2025, the broad unemployment rate reached 19.0%, a decrease of 2.6 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024 (21.6%), according to the ANSD, cited by Walf Quotidien. The broad unemployment rate is higher in rural areas (22.8%) than in urban areas (16.4%).
By age group, unemployment is significantly higher among youth, reaching 24.0%, compared to 13.6% among adults. Furthermore, women are more affected by unemployment, regardless of age group and residential area, as noted by Walf Quotidien.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), unemployed individuals include all working-age individuals who, during the reference period, were without work, available for work within a two-week period, and actively seeking work within the four weeks preceding the date of collection, as specified by the ANSD, as reported by Walf Quotidien.
However, the ANSD specifies that this definition is restrictive for Senegal, given the unstructured job market for job seekers. Therefore, individuals who are unemployed, available but not actively seeking work for reasons considered beyond their control, are counted among the unemployed and included in the determination of the country’s unemployment level.
The level of unemployment in the strict sense of the ILO and in the broad sense are produced for comparison purposes, according to the detailed report from the ANSD relayed by Walf Quotidien.
