Labor market in Cambodia

Cambodia’s labor market included about 9.297 million employed people aged 15 to 64 in 2023. The labor force contained about 9.362 million people, and the participation rate was 84.2%, with 79.5% for women and 89.1% for men. These figures measure participation in work and job seeking, not only formal employment. The unemployment rate was 0.7%, but a low unemployment rate does not mean that all work provides stable income, legal protection or sufficient hours. Work is divided among several statuses. Paid employees accounted for 51.4% of employed people, own-account workers and other self-employed workers for 34.8%, unpaid family workers for 13.6% and employers for 0.1%. The employment-status figures do not by themselves show whether work is formal or informal. A registered formal employee is recorded within the formal employment system, while many other workers remain outside that category even when they earn an income. Agriculture employed 33.4% of workers in 2023, industry 26.7% and services 39.9%. Agriculture has declined as a share of employment since 2009, while industry and services have grown. Agriculture remains especially significant in rural areas. Phnom Penh’s employment structure was mainly service-based, with 74.0% of employment in services, 24.8% in industry and 1.2% in agriculture. In other urban areas, the shares were 47.0%, 34.1% and 18.9%; in other rural areas, they were 27.9%, 24.0% and 48.1%. This concentration means that a job search in Phnom Penh may offer more service positions, while rural areas provide more agricultural work and some industrial opportunities. Qualifications range from general education and workplace learning to technical and vocational training. Among the 15-to-64 labor force, 34.6% had no or only partial schooling, 31.1% had completed primary education, 16.2% lower secondary education, 9.2% upper secondary education and 8.8% post-secondary education. The Cambodia Qualifications Framework used by the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training links managers, engineers and other professionals generally to a bachelor’s degree or higher; technicians to a higher diploma or associate degree; skilled workers and operators to technical and vocational certificates; and elementary work to basic education. Actual access still depends on the occupation, employer, experience and demonstrated skills. Income varies substantially by location, occupation and qualification. The 2023 household survey recorded average monthly household income from wages and salaries of about KHR 1.353 million nationally, KHR 2.079 million in Phnom Penh, KHR 1.596 million in other urban areas and KHR 1.092 million in rural areas. These are household amounts, not guaranteed individual wages. The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training’s 2024 job outlook reported role averages such as USD 2,150 for a health service manager, USD 1,682 for a specialist medical practitioner, USD 1,236 for a finance manager and USD 621 for a civil engineer. Such figures are occupational averages, and benefits may be separate. Cambodia has a statutory minimum wage that is especially relevant to the garment, footwear and travel-goods sectors, but the available evidence does not establish one reliable universal minimum amount for every sector. The National Employment Agency provides public job matching through 13 provincial and municipal job centers, job fairs and online channels including careerfair.nea.gov.kh. Workers can also apply directly, use school or vocational-training channels, or contact licensed private recruitment agencies. Actual matching depends on location, language, qualification and experience. The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training’s job outlook uses National Employment Agency data and information from 577 companies. The Labour Market Information system also supports company and labor-market data, while the Labour Inspectorate handles labor-law, working-condition and occupational-safety matters. The National Social Security Fund supports social protection within the formal system; formal access should be checked according to the worker’s status and employer. The Ministry’s 2026 projection estimates about 11.2 million jobs in total and approximately 445,000 new jobs. Industry could provide up to 285,000 new jobs, including garment, footwear and travel-goods production, other manufacturing, food and beverage manufacturing, construction, transport and storage. Accommodation and restaurants are also expected to expand. Projected demand is highest for skilled workers and machine operators, followed by clerks, service and sales workers, elementary workers, technicians, and managers, engineers and professionals. Demand is also growing for digital technology, data science, generative-artificial-intelligence applications, automotive and electronics skills, automation, energy, analytical thinking and adaptability. These are projections rather than measured results and should not be treated as guaranteed vacancies. Registered formal employees reached 2,217,525 in 2025, an increase of 22% from 2024. Garment, footwear and travel-goods production accounted for 1,134,091 of them, and non-garment sectors added about 191,433. Formal employment can widen access to legal protection and social protection, but these figures do not represent the whole labor market because many workers are self-employed, family workers or informally engaged. Cambodian workers also use international recruitment pathways to Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Japan and Singapore. Regular pathways involve the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and licensed private recruitment agencies under Sub-Decree 190, with advance information, a contract, pre-departure preparation and a certificate. Recruitment fees, irregular migration, weak enforcement, forced labor and protection gaps remain risks, particularly in fishing and seafood work. Workers returning from Thailand may need renewed skills recognition and job matching; programs discussed by the Ministry and partners focus on agricultural processing, light industry, services and vocational training in border provinces. Children aged 5 to 17 participating in work, measured at 11.9% in the available national indicator, also show why access to decent work and protection matters.