Unemployment in Rwanda has declined by 7 percentage points
After the hard time of the Covid-19 pandemic, people are putting much pression to the labour market to resume their lives that was much affected by the pandemic. Despite their efforts, Labour under utilizations remains higher. The new standards introduced an innovative framework that recognizes all productive activities, whether paid or unpaid, as work and serve to expand the range of statistics available on different working activities, paid and unpaid, carried out by women and men, including employment, volunteer work, own-use production work, etc.
Rwanda Labour market- Trends of main indicators, 2017-2021(Q4)
Note: UR: Unemployment rate; LFPR: Labour Force Participation rate; EPR: Employment to Population ratio.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures have exposed existing Rwandan society and its economy to the change in all aspects. Despite the risk of mortality, people are also wearied by losing employment or tending to under-utilization.
Trends of Labour market performance indicator in Rwanda -August 2021
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and containment responses have exposed existing Rwandan society and its economy to the change in all aspects; people are also wearied of losing employment or tending to under-utilization
Trends of Labour market performance indicator in Rwanda(May 2021)
The COVID-19 pandemic and containment responses have exposed existing Rwandan society and its economy to the change in all aspects. Despite the risk of mortality people are also wearied by losing employment or tending to under-utilization
Covid 19 and its impact on Labour force in Rwanda
According to the Labour Force Survey results of November 2020(Q4), the unemployment rate in Rwanda was 20.3 percent compared to 16.0 percent in August 2020(Q2); indicating an increase of 4.3 percentage points A higher increase was observed among males (5.6 percentage points) as compared to females (2.7 percentage points). The comparison of unemployment rate of May 2020 and the one of November 2020, reveals that it decreased among both males and females with a higher decrease among females (2.6 percentage point) as compared to males (1.0 percentage points)
COVID-19 and its impact on Labour force in Rwanda
Source: NISR, LFS_2017-2020
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.
Declining trend in Unemployment rate
The Rwanda unemployment rate has been varying between 14.5 and 15.4 percent in last four quarters of 2019 and has continue to decline in the 1st Quarter 2020 up to 13.1% a figure that has not yet achieved in last four years. As a result, the number of population out of labour force has increased as compared to the previous quarter and the number of working age population in subsistence agriculture has increased.
Unemployment rate declined by 3.4 percent in the last 3 years
UR=Unemployment rate, EPR=Employment to population Ratio, LFPR=Labour Force Participation Rate
Rwanda’s unemployment rate increasing in Quarter 3, 2019
UR=Unemployment rate, EPR=Employment to population Ratio, LFPR=Labour Force Participation Rate