Privatization of Education and Labor Force Inequality in Urban Africa: The Experience of First Employment in Ouagadougou

Anne-Emmanuèle Calvès, Université de Montréal
Jean-François Kobiané, Université de Ouagadougou

Like in many other sub-Saharan African countries, there has been an increased privatization of the school system in Burkina Faso since the 1990s. However, little is known about the effect of private schooling on labor force equality. Using data from a unique retrospective survey conducted in 2010 in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso among 2036 young adults, the purpose of this study is to examine how type of education (public versus private) influences subsequent transition to first paid employment among young women and men. Controlling for educational attainment, how does schooling experience affect the timing and sector of first paid employment for young adults? Preliminary analysis suggests faster transition to paid employment among youth with some private education compared to those who only attended public schools and strong gender differentials in the effect of private schooling on employment quality.