This research examines the relationship between inflation and unemployment in the Republic of the Congo over the period 1990–2022. While the traditional Phillips curve suggests an inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment, empirical evidence from developing economies often challenges this assumption. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, this study investigates both short-run and long-run dynamics between inflation and unemployment, incorporating key macroeconomic control variables including exports, imports, gross fixed capital formation, population growth, and GDP per capita growth.

The results reveal that inflation has a positive and statistically significant effect on unemployment in both the short and long run, contradicting the conventional Phillips curve hypothesis. Conversely, GDP per capita growth exerts a negative effect on unemployment, highlighting the importance of economic expansion in reducing joblessness. These findings align with alternative theoretical frameworks, particularly those of Tobin (1972) and Fitoussi (1973), which emphasize structural rigidities in the economy.