Rwanda aims to reduce the national unemployment rate to 12 per cent in the next five years (from 2024 to 2029), according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). ALSO READ: Rwanda sees drop in unemployment rates Unemployment rate is the percentage of the Labour force that is not employed but actively seeking employment and available to start to work if the job opportunity becomes available. ALSO READ: Why the services sector led job creation in Q4 2024 Labour Force does not include full time students who are not employed and not seeking for job, subsistence food stuff producers, discouraged job seeker ALSO READ: Rwanda mulls creation of unemployment insurance scheme People are counted as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for a job in the past four weeks and are currently available to work. “Currently, the unemployment rate is at 14.9 per cent and the aim is to reduce the national unemployment rate to 12 per cent by 2029,” Pacifique Uwamahoro, Labour Force Survey Specialist at the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), said while speaking to journalists during a capacity-building workshop in Musanze District. ALSO READ: New World Bank report shines light on unemployment levels Rwanda has set an ambitious target to create 1.25 million productive and decent jobs by 2029. “The target will help reduce the unemployment rate,” he said. According to the Private Sector Development and Youth Employment Sector Strategic Plan 2024-2029, the government also targets a reduction in the proportion of youth Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET) to 23 per cent. This reflects a broader effort to ensure that the youth population is productively involved in building their skills, contributing to the economy, and avoiding long-term unemployment or social exclusion. ALSO READ: Four key findings about Rwanda's agriculture labour force in new survey The five-year plan aspires to position Rwanda as a regional hub for business growth and job creation. It is aligned with other key sector policies and strategies such as the Industrial Policy (2024-2034), which aims to establish and increase capacity utilisation of industries in manufacturing, agro-processing, mining and mineral processing, textiles, leather and garments, automotive and components manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, and creative industries. ALSO READ: Innovative digital platform seeks to curb unemployment in Rwanda It is also aligned with the Youth Employment Promotion Strategy, which aims to reduce youth unemployment by creating 3.4 million jobs through skills development and youth enterprise investment. Interventions in implementing the plan include establishing and operationalising the Youth Investment Facility (YIF) to foster entrepreneurship among the youth, optimising employment opportunities and skills development from major investment and flagship projects in public and private sectors. Such projects include Nyagatare Milk Powder Factory, the New Kigali International Airport, Aviation Skills Academy, Gabiro Agri-Hub, and sports complexes among others. The interventions also include developing a talent pool for emerging critical sectors of the economy, including Global Business Services (GBS) companies, financial services, e-mobility, health, biotechnology, aviation, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI), and engineering]. Developing a leather tannery plant with an effluent treatment plant and implementing a funding model to equip 150 leather MSMEs with modern machinery and design skills is also among the interventions. Monitoring progress The 8th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he explained, seeks to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. ALSO READ: The fight against unemployment in Africa “To monitor progress towards these national and international employment goals, the Labour Force Survey is a critical tool for producing accurate, timely and policy-relevant labour market statistics,” Uwamahoro noted. Currently, the labour force survey is conducted four times a year. “We use a sample of 26,496 households including over 6,000 households each quarter.”
