Employment in Kiribati

The 2023 Household Income and Expenditure Survey recorded 39,530 employed people in Kiribati. Services accounted for 63.7% of employment, agriculture for 20.8% and industry for 15.5%. The average monthly wage was AUD 538 and the median was AUD 430. Women were less represented in wage work than men, at 48.2% compared with 59.3%. South Tarawa had 21,313 employed people. Among people aged 15 to 24, 5,465 were employed; the recorded youth unemployment rate of 8.4% is an access indicator rather than a complete description of all job opportunities. Local employment can be found directly through employers, the Ministry of Employment and Human Resource (MEHR), the National Career Counseling and Employment Centre (NCCEC), Public Employment Services and the National Employment Registry. The Labour Market Information and Marketing division provides career counselling, job placement and information about local and overseas work, with a particular focus on young job seekers. The Kiribati Institute of Technology (KIT) provides Employment Support Services, job-search assistance, application support, interview preparation, vocational guidance and training pathways. Government vacancies may also be published through a government vacancy portal. For reviewed government applications, the required process uses an application form and hard copies submitted at the relevant headquarters in Bairiki; online or email submission is not accepted. Applicants generally need a National ID, passport or other photo identification and evidence of the qualifications or experience stated in the vacancy. The recruiting Ministry arranges tests and interviews, and applicants who are ineligible may receive no individual feedback. The reviewed information does not establish a general application fee or fixed processing time. Government employment is administered through the Public Service Office and the Public Service Commission. The Public Service Office manages human resources, personnel records, the National Conditions of Service, salary and benefit administration, training and appraisal. Government pay follows the classification and salary scale attached to the position. Private recruitment agents and private employment agencies require a licence. Recruitment, training, promotion, employment conditions and termination must not discriminate against workers, and forced labour is prohibited. The Employment and Industrial Relations Code 2015 (EIRC) is the main national framework for formal employment. A worker and employer must sign a contract of employment, and the worker must receive a copy. The contract should state the work, pay, hours and other essential conditions clearly before signature. The Ministry of Employment and Human Resource publishes a minimum rate of AUD 1.30 per hour for private-sector and private-construction work and AUD 3.00 per hour for foreign-funded project or construction work. Employers must display the applicable order. Hourly, daily and weekly wages are generally paid at least twice each month; fixed monthly or annual wages and piece-work or task-based pay are generally paid once each month. A written or electronic wage statement should show the rate, gross and net pay, Kiribati Provident Fund contributions, tax and deductions. The Kiribati Provident Fund contribution is 15% of wages in total, with 7.5% paid by the employer and 7.5% by the employee. Available guidance states that employee registration should be completed within 30 days after work starts. A wage deduction requires consent and generally cannot exceed one third of the wage for the relevant pay period. Normal working time is up to eight hours per day and 40 hours per week unless reasonable additional hours apply. Full-time workers receive at least 12 consecutive hours of daily rest and 48 hours of weekly rest. After six consecutive hours, the break is one hour for a meal or 20 minutes together with two 10-minute breaks. Maternity leave lasts 12 weeks, normally six weeks before and six weeks after childbirth, with pay of at least 25%. Annual leave can be up to 30 days. After six months of employment, sick leave can reach 20 working days per year when supported by a medical certificate. After six months, compassionate leave provides three paid days per year when the required evidence is supplied. Legal public holidays are paid. The exact application of a leave rule can depend on the employment arrangement and the applicable conditions. The Occupational Health and Safety Unit handles workplace-safety functions. An employee may leave a workplace when there is reasonable justification to believe that remaining would expose the employee to imminent serious harm. The Work Relations division carries out labour-inspection functions, receives confidential employment complaints and handles labour disputes. Workers may also use trade unions, while unions and employer organisations can register through the relevant labour functions. The available sources do not establish every inspection step or deadline, so a complaint should include the employer, workplace, dates, documents and description of the alleged problem. Overseas employment is administered by MEHR Overseas Employment. Australia’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, known as PALM, covers seasonal work for up to nine months and longer placements of one to four years. New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme allows Kiribati workers to work for up to nine months within an 11-month period. Sealord provides a fisheries pathway. Older MEHR pages may still use the labels PLS or SWP, while KIT identifies PALM as the consolidated Australian scheme since 2022. Access normally begins through an Island Council or a MEHR Job Seeker Application, followed by placement in a work-ready pool, screening and preparation through KIT. The overseas employer makes the final selection. Overseas Employment manages pre-departure arrangements, travel logistics, worker contact and return debriefing. KIT preparation for PALM or RSE is approximately four weeks, followed by a five-day pre-departure briefing. The reviewed information identifies no worker fee for these pathways. A contract may end for a valid conduct, capacity or reduced-operational-requirements reason. The employer must have lawful evidence and provide written notice. Summary dismissal is limited to serious misconduct under the EIRC. The reviewed sources do not establish a direct national unemployment benefit or a general severance equivalent, so a worker should not assume that either payment is available. The Kiribati National Employment Policy 2025-2029 was launched in December 2025 and focuses on youth employment, informality, wages and working conditions, vulnerable groups, skills mismatches, overseas-worker protection and labour-market data; implementation details and benefit entitlements may continue to develop.