Macroeconomic Shocks and Employment in sub-Sharan Africa: Do Labour Market Institutions Matter?

The effects of macroeconomic shocks and labour market institutions on employment in sub-Saharan African countries are examined in this study. Using a sample of 27 SSA countries for the period 2007 to 2018, both linear and interactive relationships are investigated. The results show that labour market institutions (especially in terms of wage flexibility) dampen the effects of shocks on modern employment but amplify the effects of shocks on informal employment in the sampled SSA countries. There is also evidence that shocks themselves (especially those emanating from the external sector) do not matter for a huge proportion of employment changes in SSA countries. Rather, the direct effects of shocks on employment are more profound in the formal sector. The study therefore concludes that reforming the informal sector will help to ensure the effectiveness of labour market institutions in mitigating the negative impacts of external shocks on employment in SSA

An Empirical Study of the Telecommunication and Economic Growth in Nigeria

This study examines the impact of telecommunication on economic growth in Nigeria.  The study’s model is based on Solow’s augmented growth theory where labor, capital and technology are the sole determinants of economic growth. Thus, economic growth is estimated through classical least squares and fully modified ordinary least squares techniques co integration and error correction model. The finding shows that labor employed, capital stock, real investment in telecommunication and electricity supply are statistically significant to economic growth in the short run equilibrium in Nigeria. Therefore, positive economic growth is attainable when efficient and well-coordinated policies are implemented on labor productivity, price management, investment promotion and constant electricity supply. The study used GDP as a proxy of economic growth. Secondary data from NBS, CBN and NCC which were corroborated with data from ITU, WTO and World Bank Development Indicators were used for the analysis. Based on established theories, existing empirical studies and available data, six independent variables (Telecommunications revenue, telecommunications Investments, Teledensity, Agriculture, Unemployment and Electricity consumption) were regressed on the dependent variable (GDP) using Multiple Regression Analysis. The study includes labor employed, capital stock, real investment in telecommunication and electricity supply to be the repressors and real economic growth to be the regress and using a time series data from 1999 – 2018