Mozambique: Technology can create jobs for young people – minister

Mozambique’s minister of labour, gender and social action, Ivete Alane, argued on Monday in Geneva that technological innovation should create job opportunities for young people, whilst respecting labour protection, social justice and workers’ dignity.

“In a context marked by the rapid expansion of technology, artificial intelligence and digital platforms, Mozambique maintains that innovation should create employment opportunities, particularly for young people, but always with labour protection, social justice and dignity for workers,” reads a statement from the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Action on the country’s position at the 114th International Labour Conference.

The meeting runs until 12 June in Geneva, Switzerland, with minister Ivete Alane leading the national delegation; the event brings together representatives of governments, employers and workers from the 187 member states of the International Labour Organisation.

Photo: Ministério do Trabalho, Género e Acção Social

According to information from the Mozambican government, the conference will discuss the main challenges facing the world of work, with a focus on decent work in the digital platform economy, gender equality at work, social dialogue and three-party (i.e. government, employers and trade union) cooperation.

Photo: Ministério do Trabalho, Género e Acção Social

According to the Mozambican government, at this conference the International Labour Organisation will present a report entitled “A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work”, which highlights the need for countries to steer technological transformation towards the creation of decent, inclusive and sustainable jobs.

The Mozambican government aims to reduce the unemployment rate from 18.4% to 17% by 2029, relying on the private sector, but acknowledges “significant structural challenges” in the labour market, according to a report published in September last year.

The government document setting out the outlook for the period 2025 to 2029 acknowledges that the “labour market faces significant structural challenges, including a high unemployment rate”, as well as high youth unemployment, which stands at 33.4%.

Photo: Ministério do Trabalho, Género e Acção Social

Photo: Ministério do Trabalho, Género e Acção Social

The government document setting out the outlook for the period 2025 to 2029 acknowledges that the “labour market faces significant structural challenges, including a high unemployment rate”, as well as high youth unemployment, which stands at 33.4%.

Photo: Ministério do Trabalho, Género e Acção Social