Labor market in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Formal employment accounts for only part of the labor market of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many people are self-employed, help in a family business, or earn their income in informal trade, agriculture, transport, construction, or small-scale mining. In urban areas, according to the available 2012 labor force survey, around 81.5 percent of employment was in the informal sector. In 2025, modeled labor-force participation was 61.8 percent for women and 66.8 percent for men; however, the data remain fragmented because no current, unified national labor force survey could be reliably located. Key sectors include agriculture and agribusiness, informal trade, public services, construction, services, and industrial and artisanal mining. Copper and cobalt mining play a particularly important role in Haut-Katanga and Lualaba. Economic growth in 2025 was driven mainly by the raw-materials economy, which grew by 10.1 percent, while the rest of the economy grew by 3.1 percent. Energy and mining, transport and logistics, agriculture and agribusiness, industry, tourism, and digital technologies are considered areas with potential for additional employment. Mining alone creates comparatively few jobs, however, so broader economic development remains essential. Opportunities vary considerably by region. The five analytical economic areas—West, Congo Basin, East, Katanga, and Kasai—do not fully overlap with the 26 provinces. Kinshasa, Kongo Central, and Kikwit belong to the western area; Mbandaka and Kisangani are in the Congo Basin area; Bunia, Goma, and Kalemie are in the east; and Kolwezi and Lubumbashi are in Katanga. In the east, conflict and displacement make access to work more difficult. Weak infrastructure and security risks also affect transport, training, and job placement. Qualifications are acquired through schools and universities, technical and vocational education, apprenticeships, workplace training, or learning directly on the job. The National Institute for Vocational Preparation (Institut National de Préparation Professionnelle (INPP)) offers vocational training, skills assessment, career counseling, and support with the transition into work. Duration and costs depend on the module and location. Informal networks and practical experience also remain important access routes. Recognition of prior learning (Valorisation des acquis de l’expérience) is gradually being expanded. The public employment service (Office National de l’Emploi (ONEM)) is the public job-placement service. It registers jobseekers, provides advice on occupational classification, seeks vacancies from companies, places applicants, organizes job fairs, and also supports self-employment. Some placement services require a free job-seeker card (demandeur-d’emploi). Typically, two passport photos and, if available, a résumé, diploma, transcript, or certificate are required. The onem.cd platform and MIKUBA app (MIKUBA) complement in-person registration; a portal snapshot dated September 3, 2026, showed 1,925 vacancies, 15,724 jobseekers, and 322 companies. These figures change continuously and do not measure the size of the entire labor market. Direct recruitment through personal or professional networks remains widespread. Companies must report vacancies. Private placement agencies require ONEM authorization and ministerial approval. The placement period is not subject to a uniform nationwide deadline. A six-month company internship under the Youth Employment Program (Programme d’Emploi des Jeunes) can lead to hiring, but does not guarantee later employment. Formal employment relationships are governed by the Labor Code (Code du Travail) under Law 015/2002, as amended by Law 16/010/2016. It regulates, among other things, contracts, remuneration, working hours, termination, trade unions, and the protection of women and children. The General Labor Inspectorate (Inspection Générale du Travail) monitors compliance; labor disputes may reach the Labor Tribunal (Tribunal du Travail). Employers provide annual information on the national and foreign workforce and prepare a social report (bilan social). In the informal sector, these protection and oversight mechanisms often apply only to a limited extent. The statutory minimum wage (SMIG) has been 21,500 CDF per day for an ordinary worker since January 2026. At 26 working days, this corresponds to approximately 559,000 CDF per month. The statutory wage scale includes up to 17 grades, while actual incomes vary greatly by sector, region, gender, and degree of formality. In the informal sector, the SMIG is often not effectively enforced. Employers also pay a contribution of 0.5 percent of monthly remuneration to ONEM. Foreign workers generally need an employment relationship reviewed and endorsed by ONEM, a work permit or work card for foreigners, and the involvement of the National Commission for the Employment of Foreigners (Commission Nationale de l’Emploi des Étrangers) for formal access. For 2025, maximum quotas apply depending on the sector: 6.5 percent for sectors including agriculture, the raw-materials industry, manufacturing, construction, and energy and water; and 4 percent for sectors including banking, trade, transport, services, and information and communication technology. A ministerial exemption may be possible after a Commission vote. Foreign contracts recorded by ONEM from 2019 to 2023 were concentrated particularly in mining and quarries and in trade; informal and cross-border employment is only incompletely included in these administrative data. The population is young, and approximately one million new labor-market entrants are expected each year. The SET4Jobs program (SET4Jobs) aims over five years to mobilize USD 300 million, train one million young people, certify 120,000 unemployed or particularly vulnerable young people, and support 8,000 entrepreneurs and trainees and 5,000 business plans. These targets describe planned or funded measures, not yet a nationally measured employment effect. For actual job searches, location, existing qualifications, access to networks, the security situation, and whether formal or informal work is sought therefore remain decisive.