2025 Labor Report: 22,093 jobs created in Senegal but the social climate remains "relatively tense"

The Senegalese labor market exhibits contrasting trajectories, balancing economic opportunities with persistent vulnerabilities. At the workshop on the 2025 Annual Report of Labor Statistics (RAST), presented this Thursday, July 9th, by the Labor Inspectorate, authorities provided a comprehensive overview of employment. Compiled from data from labor inspectorates and social security institutions, this document, whose publication is mandated by International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 81, ratified by Senegal, reveals that 2,675 new or reopened businesses generated 22,093 new jobs. Conversely, the economy saw the closure of 184 businesses, resulting in the loss of 1,653 jobs, while 78,231 employment contracts were formally registered with the relevant authorities.

To ensure respect for workers' rights, labor inspectors conducted audits in 5,906 establishments. These visits revealed several recurring breaches of legislation, including the non-payment of certain bonuses, irregularities in the issuance of payslips, and the lack of meetings with employee representatives. Regarding worker health and safety, the report raises the alarm about an increase in occupational risks, with 1,041 cases of workplace accidents and occupational illnesses reported in 2025, compared to 975 in 2024, despite the establishment of 96 occupational health and safety committees. In terms of social protection, the report mentions 42,315 members and 582,942 participants in the IPRES (the French social security system for the self-employed), alongside the granting of accreditation to four new health insurance institutions.

Social tensions: More than a hundred collective disputes and financial arbitration

The other major aspect of the report highlights the fault lines that are disrupting the social climate. Statistical data shows that the labor inspectorate recorded 108 collective disputes during the year, of which 58.33% were resolved. The sector was also marked by significant individual tensions, as 4,267 workers were involved in dispute resolution procedures. Analysis of these individual cases shows that 44.81% resulted in full conciliation and 9.58% in partial conciliation, while 45.29% ended in the failure of the conciliation process.

These administrative arbitrations have a direct and substantial financial impact on employees. Full and partial conciliation procedures resulted in the payment of exactly 993.8 million CFA francs to affected workers. Furthermore, amicable terminations of employment contracts, with full compensation, generated over 10.25 billion CFA francs for the benefit of 3,206 workers.

Ministerial plea for labour administration reform

Presiding over the meeting, the Minister of Public Service, Labor, and Public Service Reform, Mamadou Lamine Dianté, commented on these indicators, acknowledging that they reflect a "relatively calm social climate" and the "persistence of difficulties in labor relations, despite efforts undertaken to promote social dialogue." In light of this observation, the Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to continuing the implementation of the National Pact for Social Stability in order to build inclusive and sustainable growth.

To reverse this trend in a lasting way, the minister strongly advocated for a restructuring of control mechanisms: "It is essential to strengthen the human, material, and logistical resources of the labor inspectorate to ensure systematic inspections." He also announced a series of priority structural reforms, including the digitization of administrative procedures, the improvement of conflict prevention mechanisms, the diversification of statistical production, and the finalization of the reform of the Labor Code and the Social Security Code. According to Mamadou Lamine Dianté, establishing a peaceful social climate is a prerequisite for "strengthening the competitiveness of businesses, attracting more investment, and preserving jobs in Senegal."