Employment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Job placement is handled by the National Employment Office (ONEM), the state employment office of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Free registration with a job-seeker card (carte de demandeur d’emploi) is possible at a provincial or municipal ONEM office. This generally requires two passport photographs, a current résumé and available school or study certificates. ONEM offers registration, information, career guidance, psychotechnical tests, training, job placement and vocational internships. Job offers may be accessible through onem.cd and Mikuba. Private employment agencies require prior ONEM approval and accreditation from the Ministry of Labour. Prior ONEM authorization may be required to publish a job offer; current enforcement and the responsible submission route should be checked. Unverifiable placement fees should not be paid. The employer selects workers according to the requirements of the position, qualifications and experience. Under the Labour Code, an employment contract may be concluded in writing or orally. A written contract should include the identity of the employer and employee, CNSS numbers, date of birth and nationality, the type and form of work, remuneration and additional benefits, place of work, duration, notice period, start date, and the place and date of conclusion of the contract. Medical fitness, the job-seeker card and a declaration concerning the employee’s transfer may also appear in the documents. The ONEM review requires four copies. After a written contract is signed, the ONEM visa may be obtained within no more than 15 working days; the employee may submit the application. The employee should keep a signed copy of the contract. For ordinary workers, the statutory minimum wage under Decree No. 25/22 (Décret n°25/22) has been 21,500 CDF per day since January 2026. From May to December 2025, it was 14,500 CDF per day. The calculation uses six working days per week, 26 days per month and 312 days per year. Special implementation rules may apply to agro-industrial and pastoral activities. Actual payment should be compared with the category, a collective agreement, the payment currency and the payslip. The general working-time limit is 45 hours per week and nine hours per day, unless special sectoral rules or exceptions apply. Employees perform the agreed work, follow lawful instructions, comply with safety and health rules, attend work, and protect entrusted property and confidential information. Employers and employees should keep the contract, copies of identity documents, payslips, proof of payment and written communications. The labour inspectorate is responsible for workplace inspections; the precise legal assessment of individual disputes falls within labour law. The National Social Security Fund (CNSS) registers employees covered by the Labour Code, including daily and occasional workers as well as domestic and service staff, unless a special status applies. The employer reports the hiring within no more than 15 working days. CNSS registration and issuance of the card should take place no later than ten days after the application. Employees should check their CNSS number, card, reported wage and contributions. In practice, informal work often has no written contract, payslip, ONEM visa or CNSS record; this does not automatically constitute a statutory exception. In dependent work, subordination and remuneration matter more than the name given to the activity. For foreign workers, regular residence and a work permit are among the requirements for CNSS registration. Under the 2025 rules, a foreign worker card is required before employment on the basis of a contract. Depending on the case, priority rules for nationals, reserved occupations, quotas, and requirements concerning training and knowledge transfer may apply. The employer, ONEM and the Ministry of Labour are involved in these procedures; no uniform time or cost estimate can be given. When changing employer, occupation or place of work, the new contract conditions, any ONEM visa or notification of the employee’s transfer, and any required CNSS update should be checked. Automatic transferability between informal and formal work should not be assumed. Mining, construction, agriculture, domestic work and public service differ in access, risks and procedures. The Labour Code applies to contract employees in public service; statutory civil servants and other special regimes are not automatically covered by it. The employer normally handles the contract, payment and notifications, while ONEM is responsible for registration, placement and contract visas, CNSS for social insurance and contributions, the Ministry of Labour for rules and policy, and the labour inspectorate for supervision. An employment relationship may end through expiry, termination, agreement or lawful dismissal. Employees should request written notice, the final settlement, an employment certificate or proof of activity where available, and an update of their CNSS status. Notice periods and severance depend on the contract, length of employment, reason for termination, collective agreement and the rules currently in force. Access and implementation differ considerably in Kinshasa, Haut-Katanga, Lualaba, North Kivu, Ituri and rural provinces. ONEM data for 2019 to 2023 record 21,954 vacancies, 77,125 placements and 254,216 job seekers; about 70 percent of reported vacancies came from five provinces, and ONEM coverage was approximately ten percent. These administrative figures do not constitute a complete statistic of the national labour market.