Work in Kiribati

Formal employment in Kiribati usually involves a written contract, wage and rest rules, leave rights, workplace-safety protections and procedures for complaints and ending employment. The Employment and Industrial Relations Code 2015 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2015 establish key duties, while the Ministry of Employment and Human Resources Labour Division handles labour inspection, disputes, registrations and occupational safety. Informal work remains widespread and includes self-employment, contributing family work, subsistence activity and home-based or small-scale trade, so the protections and records available to workers can differ from formal employment. Jobs are concentrated in South Tarawa and Kiritimati, although outer-island livelihoods include fisheries, agriculture, handicrafts, retail, transport and other small activities. Professions such as teaching, health care, public administration, construction, tourism, information technology and marine work may require qualifications, professional registration or training through the Kiribati Institute of Technology or Marine Training Centre. A person without work may be able to seek the Support Fund for the Unemployed, which provides a flat Unemployment Benefit to eligible citizens; access depends on verified identity, formal employment status, age rules, island infrastructure and available services. Formal business activity usually requires business or company registration, a local business licence, tax registration and any approval required for the specific activity. Freight costs, thin markets, connectivity and climate risks affect both employment and business continuity, and limited domestic demand makes overseas labour mobility a significant work pathway.