Sharp increase: Unemployment rate in Senegal rises to 23.31 TP3T
Young people are the most affected
Senegal’s overall unemployment rate rose to 23.3% in the last quarter of 2025, up 3.3 percentage points from 20.0% the previous year, according to a national employment survey published by the National Agency for Statistics and Demography in Dakar in March 2026.
According to the survey, this increase represents a sharp rise compared to 19.2% in the third quarter of 2025.
This figure should be read in the context of what it measures, as the broad definition goes beyond the ILO standard to include people who are unemployed and available for work but have stopped looking for it for reasons beyond their control, according to the survey.
According to the ILO's strict definition, the unemployment rate was 5.4% during the same period, and the difference between these two measures highlights the extent of the labor shortage that is not covered by the ILO's definition alone.
What the data shows about unemployment
National averages in Senegal mask sharp disparities, with the unemployment rate lower in urban areas, at 19.6%, compared to rural areas where it reaches 29.2%.
Young people are the most affected, with an unemployment rate of 27.4%, compared to 18.7% among adults. Women are more affected than men in all age groups and regions.
Labor force participation rate
The labor force participation rate fell to 55.5% in the last quarter of 2025, compared to 57.0% in the previous year, a decrease of 1.5 percentage points.
During the same period, the proportion of wage labor in total employment rose to 40.6% from 38.6%. This proportion remains higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and higher among men than among women.
Over the past three years, the overall unemployment rate has ranged between 18.6% in the second quarter of 2023 and 23.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The informal sector and freelance work dominate the labor market in Senegal, which means few stable, high-paying jobs.
In the article, the Senegalese government is working to boost employment opportunities through comprehensive national policies to reduce this phenomenon, and is leading major efforts to eliminate or alleviate unemployment in the country.
Approximately 55% of the economically active population participates in economic activity, indicating untapped potential in this large African country.
