Unemployment in Namibia

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) measures unemployment among the working-age population aged 15 and over who are not employed, have recently looked for work and are currently available for work. In the 2023 Population and Housing Census, whose reference night was 24 September 2023, the working-age population was 1,876,122, the labour force was 867,247, employment was 546,805 and unemployment was 320,442. The unemployment rate was 36.9%, compared with 33.4% in 2018. The rate was 39.6% for women and 34.6% for men, 38.0% in rural areas and 36.4% in urban areas. Among people aged 15 to 34, the preferred NSA figure is 44.4%; the executive summary reports 44.1%, so the published youth figures contain a discrepancy. The 2023 census module does not provide detail on job type, working conditions or informal employment. The combined rate of unemployment and the potential labour force was 54.8% for the working-age population and 61.4% for youth. The potential labour force includes people available for work who are not counted as unemployed under the standard measure; 96.8% of this group were discouraged from looking for work. The share of young people not in employment, education or training was 41.9%. The National Employment Service operates under the Employment Service Act 8 of 2011. The Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations (MOJLR) works through the Employment Services Board and the Employment Services Bureau. The Bureau registers job seekers, records public and private vacancies, matches applicants with employers, provides vocational, career and labour-market guidance, regulates psychometric services, coordinates internships, maintains NIEIS, registers private employment agencies and produces employment statistics. A job seeker can start through https://nieis.namibiaatwork.gov.na/ or a regional Labour Office. The Ministry has warned against the unauthorised site nieisnamibia.com. Access details and processing times are not publicly specified, no placement guarantee is attached to registration, and no general reporting or renewal duty for job seekers was identified. The Act allows advice on application fees, but a current fee was not stated. Designated employers submit vacancies to the service. Namibia's Social Security Commission (SSC) funds maternity leave, sick leave, death benefits, development and national medical benefits, as well as the National Pension Fund. The reviewed sources do not establish an unemployment fund or unemployment payment. The Conditional Basic Income Grant (CBIG) targets identified vulnerable people aged 18 to 59. Its reported payment is N$600 per household per month, but the former Food Bank cohort is the current group identified, new registrations are not pending until guidelines are issued, and the amount and target area for any new intake have not been announced. CBIG is not an unemployment entitlement. The Maintenance Grant supports a child under 18 when income and household conditions are met; an unemployment affidavit can support an application. Applications are handled in person at a constituency or regional office from Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, and the reported payment is N$350 per beneficiary per month. The Income Generating Activities (IGA) Fund offers an alternative to self-employment for Namibian citizens aged 18 to 59 who are unemployed or have income below N$5,000. It provides equipment and materials together with Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) or technical support. Calls are announced through radio and community mobilisation, and the programme is decentralised across all 14 regions. The Namibia Youth Development Fund (NYDF) targets Namibians aged 18 to 45 with a registered business or cooperative, or individuals engaged in agriculture. It offers collateral-free loans at 2% to 4%, with repayment of up to five years and a grace period of up to 12 months. Applications go through the Regional Governor, the Development Bank of Namibia, the Environmental Investment Fund or Agribank. NYDF supports youth re-entry and enterprise activity; it is not a cash unemployment benefit. Job loss can create separate rights under the Labour Act 2007. For notice, employment of up to four weeks requires one day's notice, employment of more than four weeks up to one year requires one week's notice, and employment exceeding one year requires one month's notice. The employer must give notice in writing and state the reasons. After at least 12 months of continuous service, dismissal generally attracts severance of at least one week's remuneration for each completed year of service, subject to exceptions such as fair dismissal for misconduct or poor performance. Final dues can include remuneration, accrued leave, severance, notice pay and transport allowance. If dismissal occurs during the first 12 months away from the place of recruitment, the employer must provide transport or pay the transport cost. The Labour Commissioner handles dispute registration, advice, conciliation and arbitration. A dispute can be submitted using forms LC21 and LG36 with the summary, physically to the Labour Commissioner or any Labour Office, by fax, registered mail or email. No public filing fee was stated. Keep the employment contract, payslips, notice, leave records and correspondence because a dismissal claim or payment dispute depends on documents and timely referral.