60% of Lagosians Say No to Low-Paying Jobs, Reveals New Report

A report from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) shows that 60% of job seekers in Lagos turn down jobs because the pay is too low.

The survey, covering the first half of 2024, also found that 26% of job seekers don’t take jobs because they are too far from home, and 15% because the jobs seem boring.

This study was done with the Ministry of Wealth Creation & Employment and the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget. It aims to use data to find out where there are gaps in education and other issues that affect people getting jobs in Lagos, and to help reduce unemployment.

Data for the report was collected from 23,290 students, including those at vocational centres and universities, and about 47,000 job seekers from January 31, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

The report shows that many job seekers struggle to find jobs because they don’t have enough work experience, their education doesn’t match what jobs need, or they face discrimination because of their gender, disability, race, or how they look, with 20% reporting such discrimination.

The challenges differ by gender, with men often lacking the necessary work experience and women having educational qualifications that don’t match job requirements.

The report also notes that many job seekers in Lagos are new to the job market, and many lack both a degree and work experience.

To address these issues, the report suggests adding internships and job placements to education programs to build experience, promoting women in science and tech fields with special scholarships, and making the job market more inclusive through government actions and social protection measures.