Economics

World Bank Says Africa Must Boost Jobs Amid Simmering Gen Z Anger

Security forces deploy tear gas against protesters during a demonstration in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Photographer: Rijasolo/AFP/Getty Images

Africa’s labor force will almost double by 2050 and the continent urgently needs large-scale job creation to meet the demands of young people whose frustrations have already sparked Gen-Z protests.

That’s a key takeaway from the World Bank’s bi-annual assessment of sub-Saharan Africa, although it also found the region was proving more resilient than expected, as it forecast an increase in economic growth to 3.8% this year from 3.5% in 2024.