Cambodia Addressing the Skills Gap Employment Diagnostic Study

Cambodia has made great strides toward sustained rapid and inclusive economic growth since its political environment stabilized in 1999. Its 7.8% average annual growth since then has dramatically brought down the poverty level, from 47.8% of the population living below the national poverty line in 2007 to a low 18.9% in 2012. However, 71.0% of Cambodians still live on less than $3 a day, which means that many of them remain vulnerable to falling back into poverty. A lack of decent jobs is at the heart of the problem. The share of selfemployed and unpaid family workers, which was at 59.4% in 2013, remains high. Indeed, most of the working population is in the informal economy or engaged in vulnerable forms of employment.