The Employment Status of Young Heads of Households and the Level of Poverty Within Their Households in Benin

Abstract

This article contributes to the relatively limited literature on how the poverty level of households led by young people relates to their occupation status and, in turn, offers reflections on the precariousness of young workers, particularly in Benin. Data from the 2021–2022 Harmonized Survey on Household Living Conditions were used to analyse the occupation status (i.e. multiple-income-generating activities and salaried work) of young heads of households in relation to their households' poverty level (i.e. absolute, subjective and relative). The estimates, derived using the Distributive Analysis Stata Package, probit method and propensity score matching, revealed that regardless of the type of poverty, engaging in multiple income-generating activities increases household poverty, whereas salaried work reduces it. Considering that most young individuals involved in multiple-income-generating activities are not salaried, economic policies targeting young people should focus on regularly adjusting the minimum wage according to the cost of living and encouraging young people's entrepreneurship by addressing the various challenges associated with it, including lack of funding and entrepreneurial training.