Manpower Planning and Labor Market Information in French Speaking Africa

Social and economic changes of late have increased the awareness of many African governments of the importance of labor market efficiency, improved training programs, and better use of human resources. The International Labor Office (ILO) evaluated manpower planning experiments in francophone nations. French-speaking nations in Africa were surveyed as to public service and state company requirements for trained personnel. Employment trend outlooks through 1980 were published in 1982. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) funded the research, which involved more than twenty long studies. Labor markets are assessed as to migration trends, urban informal employment, skilled and unskilled manpower and the effects of manpower planning help of developed nations over the past two decades. Two employment forecasting methods, which are most prevalently used are the survey-questionnaire approach, and the manpower balance sheet approach. Micro-economic planning is seen as the best approach at present.