Namibia: Labor Markets and Resource Dependence
July 11, 2025
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With high unemployment, especially among the youth, Namibia lags behind the SSA region on labor market outcomes. Between 2012 and 2018, there was a structural shift in the economy from agriculture to services, as younger workers took up low-productivity service sector jobs. A shift-share analysis highlights that resources are not allocated to relatively more productive firms in the services sector, consistent with the weak real GDP per capita growth. The ongoing oil and gas exploration (and potential production in the future) offers an opportunity for economic growth and job creation, but also presents risks of worsened labor market outcomes.
Subject: Employment, Labor, Labor force, Labor markets, Unemployment
Keywords: Agriculture, Employment, employment opportunity, gas exploration, Job Creation, Labor force, Labor Market, Labor markets, Local Content Policies, Oil and Gas Explorations, Productivity, resource dependence, service sector job, Services, Skill Gaps, Skills Mismatch, Structural Transformation, Sub-Saharan Africa, Unemployment, worsened labor market outcome
Pages:
14
Volume:
2025
DOI:
Issue:
092
Series:
Selected Issues Paper No. 2025/092
Stock No:
SIPEA2025092
ISBN:
9798229017596
ISSN:
2958-7875
