Rwanda toward achieving 1.500.000 job creation
During the elaboration of The National Strategy for Transformation (NST1), job creation was included as one of the key components of the economic pillar. NST1 stipulates creation of 1.500.000 jobs by 2024. The strategy also emphasizes inclusive growth, creation of productive and descent work for all (Off Farm). The government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Finance and economic planning identified high priority sectors with potential for employment creation. Those were the agro-processing, Horticulture, Manufacturing, value addition off minerals, construction, tourism and transport as well knowledge-based services and creative art. Thus, the government of Rwanda in partnership with the private sector, trade unions and the National Labour Council; approved the tools that were elaborated to train central level staff, decentralized entities and other stakeholders. The strategy also emphasizes inclusive growth and programmes to lift people out of poverty.
The government of Rwanda adopted several policies and instruments hinged on International agenda on employment promotion and SDG 8 on productive employment and descent work for all. The International Labour Office supported the government of Rwanda by providing experts that elaborated the tool kit and trained beneficiaries.
It is clear to mention that there are no International or National guidelines on the measurement of decent and productive job created. The National statistics of Rwanda adopted a methodology of counting employment based on the quantity of job gains or losses. This methodology calculates the differences of employment stock in two consecutive points of data collection, which gives the net change in employment between two data collection periods.
The number of off farm employment increased by 6.4 percent corresponding to the net job created of 120,978 off farm jobs between 2018 and 2019. The most contributing sector were transport and storage with about 30,574 additional jobs corresponding to 21.8 percent annual increase followed by accommodation and food service activities with about 27,146 jobs equivalent to 39.2 percent as compared to the previous year, and by Education sector with an estimate of 11,447 job gain, corresponding to an annual increase of 10.8 percent. Sectors which has registered job loss are; construction (-6,609), Human health and social work activities (-3,029), information and communication (-1,969) and water supply, gas and remediation services (-378).
By:Mukundabantu Jean Marc
Labour statistics Research Team Leader
National Institutes of statistics of Rwanda