Foot and Mouth Disease spreads in Botswana, raising farmer concerns

Botswana faces rising unemployment as private sector job cuts offset public sector gains

Botswana's economy is projected to experience job losses, leading to historically high unemployment. Researchers at the Bank of Botswana indicate that modest employment gains in the public sector during early 2024 are likely to be reversed by job cuts in the private sector. This warning, detailed in the central bank's latest Monetary Policy Report, highlights an economy grappling with both cyclical decline and structural weaknesses. A key factor contributing to this crisis is the prolonged downturn in the diamond industry, which is a foundational sector of Botswana's economy and whose struggles are increasingly impacting the broader labor market.