2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁government ▁survey , ▁the ▁fert ility ▁rate ▁was ▁ 5 . 0 ▁children ▁born ▁per ▁woman , ▁with ▁ 3 . 7 ▁in ▁urban ▁areas ▁and ▁ 6 . 3 ▁in ▁rural ▁areas . ▁ ▁L anguages ▁▁ ▁French , ▁the ▁official ▁language , ▁is ▁taught ▁in ▁schools ▁and ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁ling ua ▁fran ca ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁An ▁estimated ▁ 7 0 ▁languages ▁are ▁spoken ▁in ▁I v ory ▁Coast . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁is ▁Dy ula , ▁which ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁trade ▁language , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁language ▁commonly ▁spoken ▁by ▁the ▁Muslim ▁population . ▁ ▁Emp loyment ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 7 . 5 ▁million ▁people ▁of ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁made ▁up ▁the ▁work ▁force ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁work ▁force ▁took ▁a ▁hit , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁private ▁sector , ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁numerous ▁economic ▁cr ises ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁Furthermore , ▁these ▁cr ises ▁caused ▁companies ▁to ▁close ▁and ▁move ▁locations , ▁especially ▁in ▁I v ory ▁Coast ' s ▁tour ism ▁industry , ▁trans it ▁and ▁bank ing ▁companies . ▁Job ▁mark ets ▁decre asing ▁pos ed ▁as ▁a ▁huge ▁issue ▁in ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁society ▁as ▁un emp loyment ▁rates ▁grew . ▁Un emp loyment ▁rates ▁raised ▁to ▁ 9 . 4 % ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2