Screen LibraryDigital senegal for inclusive growth : technological transformation for better and more jobs /
Senegal, like all African countries, needs better and more jobs for its growing population. The main message of this publication is that broader use of productivity-enhancing technologies by households and enterprises can generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. Adoption of better tec...
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| Main Authors: | |
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| Group Author: | ; |
| Published: |
World Bank Group,
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| Publisher Address: | Washington, DC : |
| Publication Dates: | [2021] |
| Literature type: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Series: |
International development in focus
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| Subjects: | |
| Summary: |
Senegal, like all African countries, needs better and more jobs for its growing population. The main message of this publication is that broader use of productivity-enhancing technologies by households and enterprises can generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. Adoption of better technologies can support both Senegal's short-term objective of economic recovery and its vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. But this is not automatic. This book leverages a novel survey instrument that measures adoption of technologies at the firm level. Results from this survey show that there is a large average technological gap in Senegal relative to firms in Brazil, in the range of 36 and 30 percent for extensive (whether firms use it at all) and intensive (the most frequently applied) uses of better technologies such as for business administration. Except for a small number of firms, enterprises still mostly use manual, analog technologies to perform general and sector specific business functions. Micro-size informal enterprises lag even further. The benefits from technology adoption are significant. Digital technologies are an enabler of economy-wide productivity and jobs growth by catalyzing adoption of complementary technologies, including many not accessible without digital infrastructure. For households, mobile internet coverage is associated with 14 percent higher total consumption, as well as a 10 percent lower extreme poverty rate-and jobs with higher earnings. Firms with better technologies have higher levels of productivity, generate more jobs, and increase the share of lower-skilled workers on their payroll, on average: an increase in technological sophistication across general business functions that the firm uses most intensively, such as using standard software rather than writing by hand for business administration, is associated with a 14 percent higher jobs growth rate. For these and other inclusive growth benefits to be realized, Senegal should focus on ensuring availability of affordable digital infrastructure and implementing targeted incentives to promote use by firms of better technologies as well as policies to narrow deepening digital divides across enterprises and households. |
| Item Description: | "This book was prepared as part of the World Bank analytical and advisory services task "Senegal Digital Sources of Growth Study: Productivity and Inclusion Opportunities from Adoption of Digital Technologies (DTs)" (project ID: P168247), and as part of the joint Africa Chief Economist (AFRCE)-Digital Development Research Program on Digital Transformation for Africa (project ID: P170151). It was prepared by a joint AFRCE, Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice and Poverty and Equity Global Practice team..."--Acknowledgments. |
| Carrier Form: | xx, 126 pages : color illustrations, color maps, forms ; 28 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| ISBN: |
9781464816871 1464816875 |
| Index Number: | HC1045 |
| CLC: | F143.443 |
| Call Number: | F143.443/C957 |