Africa is a continent with a young and growing population. This demographic dividend presents a great opportunity for economic growth, but it also poses challenges for employment creation.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the unemployment rate in Africa was 12.5% in 2022. This is higher than the global average of 6.3%. The unemployment rate is even higher among young people, with 26.2% of young Africans unemployed. (ILO, 2022)

Cameroon is one of the countries in Africa that is facing a high unemployment rate. In 2022, the unemployment rate in Cameroon was 15.2%. This is higher than the national average of 12.5% for Africa.

A number of factors contribute to the high unemployment rate in Cameroon, including but not limited to:

• A lack of economic growth. Cameroon’s economy has been growing at a slow pace in recent years. This has made it difficult to create new jobs.
• A mismatch between skills and jobs. The education system in Cameroon does not always prepare students with the skills that are needed in the labor market. This leads to a mismatch between skills and jobs, which makes it difficult for people to find work.
• A lack of access to credit. Many businesses in Cameroon do not have access to credit. This makes it difficult for them to expand and create new jobs.

(NIS, 2022)

In addition to the challenges mentioned above, there is also a lack of know-how among job seekers in Cameroon when it comes to searching for and compiling applications for job vacancies. This is due to a number of factors, including:

• A lack of access to information about job opportunities.
• A lack of training on how to write effective resumes and cover letters.
• A lack of confidence in their own abilities.

(ILO, 2022)

The lack of know-how among job seekers in Africa as a whole, and Cameroon in particular is a major barrier to employment. It prevents people from finding jobs that they are qualified for and that they would be good at.

To address the high unemployment rate and the lack of know-how among job seekers, there is the need to…

• Increase economic growth.
• Invest in education and training.
• Making credit more accessible to businesses.
• Provide job seekers with information and training on how to find and apply for jobs.

(ILO, 2022; NIS, 2022)