Across North Africa, employment remains one of the most pressing challenges for inclusive development. Despite the region’s young talent, entrepreneurial energy, and sectors with strong growth potential, too many people remain excluded from productive work. Youth unemployment was projected at 22.3 percent in 2025, while 31.2 percent of young people are not in education, employment, or training.
The African Development Bank Group is responding by strengthening systems that create jobs, including skills development, entrepreneurship, access to finance, value chains, and private‑sector competitiveness. In Egypt, the Bank is anchoring job creation in private‑sector development, with a portfolio of about $2 billion, nearly 39 percent of which is private‑sector operations. The Jobs, Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods Enhancement Support project is set to boost start‑ups, small enterprises, and inclusive value chains.
In Mauritania, a $17 million grant approved in 2024 is helping rural women improve agricultural productivity, add value to products, and establish year‑round production centres. The initiative is expected to directly benefit 22,200 households and indirectly reach nearly 90,000 people. In Morocco, a €100 million loan approved in 2025 supports an inclusive agriculture programme focused on women and youth, aiming to stimulate rural entrepreneurship, strengthen food security, and help small farmers adapt to climate change.
Tunisia’s CAP Emploi programme, launched in 2025 with Bank support, is translating labour‑market reform into practical opportunities. Combining training, entrepreneurship support, zero‑interest loans, and business formalisation, the programme is backed by €90 million in financing and a $2.5 million AFAWA grant. It aims to generate nearly 119,000 formal jobs, with a strong focus on women entrepreneurs.
Earlier initiatives such as Souk At‑Tanmia, which ran from 2012 to 2021, demonstrated the impact of entrepreneurship support across Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. Tunisian entrepreneur Samia Ben Abdallah credited the programme with helping her build her leather goods brand through training in strategy, marketing, and sales.
Together, these efforts highlight how inclusive labour markets are built through finance, skills, reform, and enterprise ecosystems. On International Labour Day, the Bank’s work underscores that decent jobs for women, youth, and men are central to inclusive growth, social stability, and long‑term competitiveness in North Africa.
