Compliance with Labour Regulations in West African Countries : A Multi-Dimensional and Dynamic Analysis

This paper provides measures of compliance with labour regulations that vary across space, time, and type of regulation, allowing for a rich analysis of worker vulnerability. We compute a multidimensional index of labour violations that covers minimum wages, leave benefits and social security in eight West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo), and measure the persistence of labour violations experienced by employees over time (2019 to 2022). Overall, we find that 88% of employees in the region experience multiple violations of their labour rights. When restricting to longitudinal data, we observe that the multidimensional labour violations index is persistent over time, with only 21.5% of employees changing status over the three-year period. These results highlight the need to foster both workers’ wellbeing and the rule of law in West Africa.