Djibouti: Selected Issues

This Selected Issues paper focuses on empowering diverse futures. The economy of Djibouti grew at an unprecedented rate during the last decade, but the investment-led economic expansion did not translate into tangible labor market’s improvements. The capital-intensive nature of the country’s growth model limits job creation, while growing skill mismatches in the labor market have increased structural unemployment. While access to education has increased dramatically since the 2000s, more could be done in improving the quality of education and expanding vocational and adult learning. Moreover, stepping-up diversification would support the development of more labor-intensive sectors, further spreading the benefits from growth to all Djiboutians. The timely collection of labor market statistics remains a key constraint for supporting decision-making and job creation. The design and implementation of adequate policy frameworks to foster job creation requires complete and timely labor market data. The frequent collection of basic labor market data, such the unemployment rate, remains a priority for policy design and implementation.