The results of the Questionnaire reveal that the unemployment rate is higher than the national average in 10 of Cape Verde’s 22 municipalities. The report highlights São Miguel (35.1%), Porto Novo (33%) and Tarrafal de Santiago (30%) as the municipalities with the highest levels of unemployment. Boa Vista appears on the opposite extreme, with the lowest unemployment rate in the country, 7.8%, followed by Sal and São Salvador do Mundo, with 8.9% and 8.6%, respectively.

Unemployment continues to be more accentuated among young people, although the provisional results of the Questionnaire indicate a drop in unemployment for the population as a whole. According to the Questionnaire, more than half of all unemployed Cape Verdeans (56%) are between 15 and 24 years of age, while some 76% are between their teenage years and 34. São Salvador do Mundo, Santa Cruz, São Lourenço dos Órgãos and São Domingos are the municipalities with the highest proportions of unemployed youths. In these municipalities, between 62% and 80% of the unemployed are between 15 and 24 years of age.

The study notes that women continue to be at a disadvantage in the job market, with unemployment affecting 28% of women as opposed to 15% of men.

Some 32% of people with a secondary school degree are unemployed, while lack of employment is a problem for 16% of those who have finished only elementary school, 17% of those with no formal schooling and 9% of those who began but did not finish high school. The Questionnaire adds that 19% of Cape Verdeans with a bachelor’s degree or more are unemployed. This relatively high rate for higher levels of schooling are due, according to the study, to the increasing pressure on the job market resulting from the ever increasing numbers of Cape Verdean students graduating from courses of higher learning.

In any case, most of Cape Verde’s unemployed (51%) have a high school or college degree.

São Vicente is the municipality with the highest level proportion of higher-learning degree holders among the unemployed (7.2%), followed closely by Praia (6%).

According to the Questionnaire, the Net Activity Rate is 63% on a national level, the same as in 2005. In other words, out of every 100 people of 15 or more years of age, 63 are considered to be potential members of the work force, whether or not they are actually employed at any given moment. Sal is the municipality with the highest Net Activity Rate (75%), while the lowest is found in Ribeira Brava, with 52%.

53% of Cape Verde’s economically active population has a elementary school education, while 31% has a high school-level education and 4% a college-level education. In Praia, some 8% of the active population has a higher education, as opposed to 5% on Sal and São Vicente.

Source A samana