Ricardo Santos presents IGM research on labour market dynamics in Mozambique at 2024 Jobs and Development Conference

On 8–9 October, the World Bank, UNU-WIDER, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the Network on Jobs and Development (NJD) organized the 2024 Jobs and Development conference in Cairo. Ricardo Santos, UNU-WIDER Research Fellow and Resident Advisor to the Inclusive growth in Mozambique programme (IGM) based at the University of Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), was invited to present a paper on the impact of information sharing in the entry into the labour market of university graduates in Mozambique.

This year’s edition of the Jobs and Development Conference focused on topics related to employment, the interaction between development and the quantity and quality of work, and policies to improve employment results in low- and middle-income countries.

In his presentation, Ricardo Santos discussed the key findings of a recent article titled ‘Informed job entry’, co-written with Sam Jones, UNU-WIDER Research Fellow, and Gimelgo Xirinda, Economist at the Manhiça Health Research Center. The study shows that providing information on wages and unemployment can reduce the time that university and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduate jobseekers take to become employed, with different levels of efficacy depending on the type of information provided.

Participants showed great interest in the policy implications of the study, in particular regarding the transition from TVET to employment, the role of information gathered through informal channels (family and friends), and the role of informal vacancy offer mechanisms. The event also offered an opportunity to engage with researchers seeking to apply similar surveys in South Africa and India, particularly those measuring medium-to-long-run effects of interventions to increase the employability of TVET students.

The event gathered a wide audience consisting of local and international economists, researchers, and policymakers.