Counting jobs sounds straightforward until you try to define what a “job” actually is, and how it has come about.
CFYE works across both the supply and demand sides of the labour market, supporting business growth, training and matching youth into roles, intermediary-led finance and business development, and youth entrepreneurship. The resulting jobs vary widely in duration, formality, and quality, making it difficult to apply a single definition or measurement approach.
This brief draws on CFYE’s experience of defining and measuring jobs in practice. It unpacks the trade-offs involved in balancing rigour, feasibility, and comparability, and shares lessons for programmes navigating similar choices across varied labour markets and delivery models.
