Abstract
This paper examines the structural disconnect between economic growth and decent work outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite sustained periods of GDP expansion, employment growth has remained insufficient and largely concentrated in informal and vulnerable sectors. Using employment elasticity analysis, macro-labour linkages, and qualitative assessment of labour market dynamics, the study identifies persistent decent work deficits, including high informality, youth unemployment, working poverty, and the rapid emergence of platform-based gig work. The findings demonstrate that Africa’s growth model has been capital-intensive and weakly employment-generating. The rise of the digital platform economy introduces both opportunities and risks, potentially reproducing informal labour relations in technologically mediated forms. The paper argues for a recalibration of growth strategies toward labour-absorbing structural transformation, strengthened social protection systems, and regulatory frameworks that extend decent work standards to platform labour. The analysis calls for integrated macro-labour policy frameworks that align economic expansion with employment intensity, social protection coverage, and inclusive development.