This book offers a comprehensive and deep examination of the key labor market issues in Tunisia, including the size, structure, and evolution of the labor force, employment and unemployment, wage formation, gender differences, education, and migration. Unemployment has been the most challenging issue for decades. Because it has been persistently high and particularly acute for youth, university graduates, and women, special attention is paid to youth and women in the labor market and to the structure, education, and evolution of the labor force. Despite the falling-off of its population growth ... More

This book offers a comprehensive and deep examination of the key labor market issues in Tunisia, including the size, structure, and evolution of the labor force, employment and unemployment, wage formation, gender differences, education, and migration. Unemployment has been the most challenging issue for decades. Because it has been persistently high and particularly acute for youth, university graduates, and women, special attention is paid to youth and women in the labor market and to the structure, education, and evolution of the labor force. Despite the falling-off of its population growth, Tunisia continues to experience strong labor supply pressures due to the rapid growth of higher education graduates and the mismatch between the skills produced by the education system and those needed by the market. The lack of good formal jobs, the segmentation of the labor market and the income and wage inequalities are also the outcome of the regulations and institutions governing the labor market. Women in the lagging regions and educated young women face the most serious insertion challenges. Yet, young women’s educational attainment has exceeded that of young men. And women have also made substantial progress in gaining greater control over their lives and their wellbeing. Although severe forms of child labor are not widespread, 6 percent of children are involved in unpaid activities within the household, and dropout of school remains an important issue. The evolution and effects of migration are also examined.