How do formal employment and informal work differ within work in The Gambia?

Formal employment is more likely to include written terms, regular pay records, workplace-safety duties and complaint procedures under applicable employment rules. Informal work is widespread and may operate without written contracts or formal human-resources systems.

Why can unemployment and labor-market participation describe different conditions of work in The Gambia?

Unemployment measures people without work who meet the survey definition for seeking or being available for work, while participation also includes people who are working. A labor market can therefore show substantial participation and employment while still recording unemployment and widespread informal or low-security work.

Which pathways can lead to a profession and income in The Gambia?

Pathways include higher education, technical and vocational education and training, apprenticeships, employer-based learning, trade testing and recognition of prior learning. Access varies with the occupation, qualifications, location, gender, employer practice and any registration or licence requirement.

What formal steps commonly support a business operating within work in The Gambia?

A business commonly needs registration, a tax identification number, a municipal operational licence and any approval required for its sector. The exact requirements depend on the legal form and activity, such as a sole trader, partnership, company, cooperative or foreign branch.

Work in Gambia

Work in The Gambia includes employment, employers, unemployment, labor-market conditions, professions and business activity. Most work is informal, while formal jobs follow employment rules and may provide clearer pay, safety and complaint procedures. Agriculture, services, independent work and small businesses all contribute to livelihoods, but access to income depends on skills, location, gender, registration and employer practice.

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Employment

Employment means contract, working time, pay, rights and duties.

Employer

An employer in The Gambia is a person, company, public authority, partnership, institution or organisation that enters an employment contract. The Labour Act 2023 governs most employment relationships and assigns administration and workplace enforcement to the Commissioner of Labour and the Department of Labour. Public-service employment follows separate rules, while informal owner-managed businesses often handle employment without formal human-resources systems. Employers combine recruitment, pay, supervision, workplace safety, worker representation, dispute handling and organisational change.

Unemployment

The Gambia has no verified nationwide unemployment insurance or automatic unemployment payment. The 2025 Gambia Labour Force Survey recorded unemployment at 8.3%, with higher rates among women, young people and urban workers. Income protection instead depends on termination rights, SSHFC or National Provident Fund eligibility, vulnerability-based assistance and job-search services.

Labor market

The labor market in The Gambia is mainly informal. Independent work is widespread. Services provide most jobs. The 2026 Q1 survey recorded 54.5% participation and 51.1% employment.

Professions

Professions in The Gambia include formal occupations, skilled trades, crafts, technical work, public-service careers and informal livelihoods. Entry can come through higher education, technical and vocational education and training, employer-based learning, apprenticeship, trade testing or recognition of prior learning. The system is fragmented across formal, non-formal and informal pathways, and most employment remains informal. Access depends on qualifications, registration, location, gender, employer practice and whether the occupation requires a licence.

Business

Business in The Gambia can operate as a sole trader, partnership, company, cooperative or branch of a foreign company. Formal operation normally requires business registration, a tax identification number, a municipal operational licence and any sector approval that applies to the activity. Registration creates a formal certificate and supports access to finance and enforceable business relationships, while informal operation leaves the business without those protections.

Employment covers the relationship between a worker and an employer, including pay, working conditions, written terms and dispute procedures. Employers may be private companies, public authorities, partnerships, institutions or individuals; public-service employment follows separate rules from many private-sector jobs. The Labour Act 2023 governs most employment relationships, while the Commissioner of Labour and the Department of Labour handle administration and workplace enforcement. Informal work remains widespread, especially in agriculture, rural areas, women's work and owner-managed businesses, where written contracts and formal human-resources systems may be absent. The 2025 Gambia Labour Force Survey recorded unemployment at 8.3%, but The Gambia has no verified nationwide unemployment insurance or automatic unemployment payment. Income protection can instead depend on termination rights, eligibility for SSHFC or National Provident Fund benefits, vulnerability-based assistance and job-search services. The labor market is mainly informal, independent work is common, and services provide most jobs; the 2026 Q1 survey recorded 54.5% participation and 51.1% employment. Professions can be entered through higher education, technical and vocational education and training, apprenticeships, employer-based learning, trade testing or recognition of prior learning. Business activity may use a sole-trader, partnership, company, cooperative or foreign-branch structure, with registration, a tax identification number, a municipal operational licence and sector approval where required. These areas overlap: a registered business may employ workers, a professional may work independently, and a person who loses employment may need job-search support or another way to earn income.

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