remittances_in_the_context_of_covid_19_africa_120620

hand, we can assume that people without employment will be more vulnerable in a context of declining remittances, because they will have less other sources of income to mitigate against it. On the other hand, people who face more economic problems can also be considered more vulnerable as they will be losing a potential safety net to address those problems if their remittances decline or are cut off. Figures 9 and 10 present the distribution of those who report being dependent on remittances by labour market status (employed and not employed) 11 and by incidence of experiencing cash problems. In nearly all countries for which data is available, over half (50%) of people who declare being dependent on remittances report not being employed. The figure was highest in Mali (86%), Guinea (85%), Lesotho (84%), Niger (84%) and Burkina Faso (82%). The only exceptions are Mauritius, Tanzania and Ghana.

Figure 9. Employment status of those who depend in some way on remittances

Mauritius Tanzania Ghana

Uganda Nigeria

Sudan Gabon Senegal Tunisia Namibia São Tomé and Príncipe

Liberia Malawi Côte d'Ivoire Botswana Mozambique eSwatini Cameroon Benin Gambia Madagascar Morocco Cabo Verde South Africa

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Mali Guinea Lesotho Niger Burkina Faso Zambia Togo Sierra Leone Zimbabwe

EmployedNo EmployedYes

Source: own elaboration of Afrobarometer data (2016-2018 wave)

11 Employed category includes those reporting fulltime or part time employment.

16