Public Policy, Political will, and illegal employment in Cameroon: Trends in Yaoundé's Public service practices

The precarious nature of employment in Cameroon is an undeniable reality, as evidence the high-rate unemployment rate and the growing prominence of the informal sector in the country's labor market. Experts often attribute this situation primarily to poor governance. The causal relationship between public policies and employment precariousness is frequently viewed holistically, sometimes leading to a fragmented and simplistic understanding of the issue. This study aims, through an empirical-descriptive approach, to highlight the discrepancies between public employment policies, political will, and youth employment precariousness in Cameroon's capital since 1960. Based on primary sources, including oral testimonies and information from written documents – mainly scientific journal, articles and press releases – this reflection concludes that the illegal employment many youths engage in within Yaoundé benefits from the tacit support of public authorities. Their apparent powerlessness regarding this unethical practice unfortunately tends to formalize the informal (the illegal) in Cameroon's labor market in general, and in Yaoundé in particular.