Unemployment in Cambodia

The 2023 Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES), using the ILO definition applied from January 2020, counted 11.121 million people aged 15–64 as working age, 9.362 million in the labour force, 9.297 million employed and 65,000 unemployed. The official unemployment rate was 0.7%. It was 0.6% for women and 0.8% for men, and 0.7% in Phnom Penh, other urban areas and rural areas. This measure does not include people who are inactive or underemployed, so a low official rate does not remove the income risk caused by losing work. Cambodia has a legal unemployment branch within the Law on Social Security Schemes 2019. Persons covered by the Labour Law, including air and maritime workers and domestic workers, are legally included, but the conditions, required formalities and procedure depend on a Sub-Decree. The National Social Protection Policy Framework 2024–2035 and the 2026 ILO country profile indicate that the scheme is still not implemented. The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) uses the Khmer term តាវកាលិកនិកម្មភាពការងារ for the unemployment benefit, but no current payment amount, duration, contribution threshold, claim deadline or payment channel is evidenced. There is therefore no operational nationwide unemployment registration and benefit system or general cash replacement for people without work. After a termination, check the employment contract, payslips, NSSF records, written termination notice and employment certificate. An undetermined-duration contract (UDC) normally requires written notice of 7 days for service under 6 months, 15 days from 6 months through 2 years, 1 month over 2 through 5 years, 2 months over 5 through 10 years and 3 months over 10 years. Ending a UDC without a valid reason or the required notice can create a claim for compensation in lieu of notice. When a fixed-duration contract (FDC) expires, minimum severance is 5% of the wages paid during the contract if no collective agreement applies. Qualifying service can also produce a seniority indemnity of 15 days of wages plus fringe benefits for each year of service. The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) and its provincial or municipal labour administration handle individual labour disputes. Conciliation can produce an agreement that is legally enforceable; an unresolved dispute can proceed to court under the Labour Law, with the current Khmer procedure checked before filing. The National Employment Agency (NEA) provides public job matching through online registration and job centres. Its services include vacancy searches, CV registration, job counselling, career exploration, labour-market information, training, job fairs and job centres. Published service hours are Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 11:30 and from 13:30 to 17:30. Exact document requirements and fees are not fully published, and no mandatory unemployed registration or universal statutory job-search duty is evidenced. Targeted programmes do not replace general unemployment insurance. The National Social Assistance Program for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) offers free training, a monthly stipend and employer linkage for eligible young people from poor or at-risk households. Cash for Work offers short-term temporary employment for poor families that have lost jobs or have recently returned from foreign migration; eligibility, intake and duration depend on the programme. Unregistered workers and self-employed people have no evidenced operational access to a national unemployment payment scheme, so their practical options generally depend on termination claims where applicable, NEA re-entry services, targeted assistance, private resources or family support.