In 2024, salaried employment in the formal non-government sector in Senegal fell by 0.6%. This slight decline masks a more marked structural transformation. Industry is the main weak point, with a 7% drop in the workforce, concentrated in manufacturing activities, which saw a decline of 8.3%. This industrial disengagement, symptomatic of the slowdown in certain value chains, contrasts with the dynamics observed elsewhere.

Construction recorded a spectacular increase of 12.4%, driven by infrastructure projects and urban dynamism. Trade also grew by 2.5%, as did services, up 0.4%. These sectors now appear to be the shock absorbers of a restructuring labor market, more service-oriented and less manufacturing-oriented.

A notable fact in this context of declining overall workforce is that salaries increased by 6.9%. This trend suggests an increase in qualifications or a concentration of employment in higher value-added segments. It could also reflect tensions over certain specific skills, particularly in construction, organized retail, or digital services.

These data, published by the ANSD, paint a contrasting picture. On the one hand, a struggling industry, marked by a loss of competitiveness and little modernization. On the other, more resilient activities, capable of supporting employment and income, but often precarious and exposed to volatile demand.

This restructuring of the productive fabric challenges public policy. While tertiarization can absorb part of the workforce, it guarantees neither long-term stability nor structural transformation. Reinstating industry in the national employment strategy is therefore becoming urgent, not for nostalgic reasons, but to rebuild a productive base capable of providing sustainable, skilled, and well-paid jobs.