Labor market in Mozambique

Mozambique's labor market includes companies, public institutions, family activities and self-employment. In the 2022 Integrated Household Survey, known as the IOF, the employment rate for people aged 15 and over was 71.4%; it was 73.2% for men and 69.8% for women. The rate was 81.5% in rural areas and 54.4% in urban areas, but rural employment is more concentrated in low-productivity agriculture and unpaid or own-account work. Own-account workers without employees represented 72.0% of employment, unpaid family workers 12.6% and private-enterprise employees 7.0%. Agriculture, forestry and fishing provided 74.7% of employment nationally. Commerce and finance accounted for 8.5%, other services 8.6%, manufacturing 2.5%, construction 1.8%, administrative services 1.6%, transport and communication 1.4%, extractive activities 0.7% and energy 0.1%. Agriculture represented 89.2% of rural employment and 37.9% of urban employment. In urban areas, commerce and finance reached 21.0%. Most provinces have more than 65% agricultural employment, while Maputo Province and Maputo City have stronger concentrations in commerce, finance and other services. Mozambique has 11 provinces when Cidade de Maputo is counted separately, and national averages can conceal large provincial differences in access and job type. The National Statistics Institute, INE, produces labor-market statistics. INEP provides free employment matching through employment centers in provincial capitals and districts and through the Balcão Móvel. The Portal Emprego and e-FRN allow candidates to create a profile, upload a CV, record qualifications and state availability. Employers can communicate vacancies, and a match can lead to an interview, placement or training. Access is available through web and mobile services, SMS and USSD. Applicants can be asked to verify their identity with a Mozambican identity card, called a BI, or a passport. The service has no fee, but applicants should not assume a fixed response time because no standard response period is evidenced. IFPELAC provides initial training, continuing training, retraining and skills validation. It reported 19,075 beneficiaries through INEFP/IFPELAC programs in 2024. Published figures for the training network differ: ANEP lists 11 delegations, 18 training centers and 20 mobile units, while a 2026 MJD figure reports 25 centers and 32 mobile units. The current center and mobile-unit coverage should therefore be checked locally. ANEP manages the National Framework of Professional Qualifications and handles accreditation and licensing, so a certificate's value depends on the qualification and the institution's recognized status. The Labor Law No. 13/2023 sets the main employment framework. The normal minimum admission age is 18, with an exception from age 15 when a legal representative is involved. Written contracts are expected, employers register workers with INSS, the National Institute of Social Security, and non-discrimination protections apply. Mozambique ratified Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment at work in 2024. These formal protections do not automatically provide effective coverage in informal work, where earnings, contracts, social protection and enforcement vary considerably. Monthly statutory minimum wages differ by sector. From 1 July 2025, the stated levels were MT 6,688 for agriculture; MT 6,726.88 for industrial and semi-industrial fishing; MT 4,991.09 for kapenta fishing; MT 15,176.66 for large-scale mining; MT 10,147.50 for manufacturing; MT 12,275 for utilities; MT 8,400 for construction; MT 10,310 for non-financial services; MT 9,700 for hotels; MT 8,465 for private security; MT 9,739 for fuel retail; MT 19,043.61 for banks and insurers; and MT 16,764.47 for microfinance. Informal earnings are highly varied, and statutory wage coverage is more limited there than in formal employment. MTGAS leads labor policy and inspection, while INSS administers social security. More than 500,000 young people enter the labor market each year, but job creation remains weak. Extractive and liquefied natural gas projects can bring investment without creating broad employment because they are capital-intensive. Agriculture still employs roughly three quarters of workers and generally has low productivity. The 2025 PESOE prioritizes diversification, youth jobs, infrastructure and resource management, while movement from informal to formal work remains limited by skills gaps, unequal access and gender-related constraints. Foreign-worker access is governed by the regulation of 17 December 2024 and by the Labor Law. The quota is 5% for employers with more than 100 workers, 8% for employers with 31 to 100 workers, 10% for employers with 11 to 30 workers and 15% for employers with up to 10 workers. A quota application can require the employment contract, proof of qualifications or equivalence, tax clearance, a passport or residence document and a fee equal to five sectoral minimum wages; the stated response period is five working days. Approved investment projects can use prior notice or a special quota, and short-duration work is limited to 120 days per year under the applicable procedure. National and foreign workers receive the protections of Law No. 13/2023. SADC labor mobility is relevant, but the reviewed national evidence does not establish current outward migration flows or the size of the foreign-worker stock.