Unemployment in Rwanda

The Kinyarwanda term ubushomeri means unemployment, and abashomeri means unemployed people. In the Labour Force Survey, NISR counts a person as unemployed when the person is not working, is actively seeking work and is available for paid or profit-making work. People who are available and seeking work but do not meet both conditions belong to the potential labour force instead. Labour underutilization is broader than unemployment and also includes time-related underemployment and the potential labour force. Statistical treatment can also differ for subsistence agriculture. NISR's Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2026 estimated about 8.7 million working-age people aged 16 or more, a labour force of about 5.4 million and about 729,000 unemployed people. The unemployment rate was 13.4%; it was 15.5% for women, 11.6% for men, 15.7% for people aged 16 to 30, 14.1% in urban areas and 13.1% in rural areas. Labour underutilization reached 59.7%, including 66.1% for women. These figures describe labour-market conditions and do not create a claim to income support. Rwanda has no direct equivalent of a universal unemployment register, unemployment insurance contribution, recurring unemployment benefit or benefit-linked job-search reporting duty. MIFOTRA is responsible for labour policy, the Labour Market Information System and the National Employment and Skills Strategy 2024–2029. Kora provides vacancies, internships, training information, career guidance and labour programmes. A Kora profile normally contains contact details, an identity document or passport, education information and a professional profile. Employment Service Centres provide free registration, profile entry, vacancy information, matching, CV and cover-letter support, interview counselling, information and communication technology training, English training, job-search training and self-employment guidance. Documented centres include KESC in Kigali, MESC in Musanze and HESC in Huye. Evidence does not establish uniform nationwide coverage. Employers, public recruitment systems, personal networks, family and friends also provide access to opportunities. Vacancy and programme deadlines differ, and no documented service guarantees placement. After qualifying job loss, a former employee may need to examine terminal benefits separately from unemployment support. Article 31 of Rwanda's Labour Law No. 66/2018 provides terminal benefits where termination for economic reasons, technological transfer or sickness follows at least 12 months of continuous service. The amount is two months of salary for less than five years of service, three months for five to less than ten years, four months for ten to less than fifteen years, five months for fifteen to less than twenty years, six months for twenty to less than twenty-five years and seven months for at least twenty-five years. Notice, other compensation and damages are separate questions, and the applicable labour-dispute procedure should be checked for the individual case. The Vision Umurenge Programme, or VUP, is not an unemployment scheme. It targets poor households through vulnerability assessment, local approval and available budgets. Direct Support serves households without an able-bodied worker, Classic Public Works serves able-bodied poor households and Expanded Public Works serves households with labour constraints. Access, payment amounts and duration are not fixed for every household. Re-entry can involve wage employment, self-employment, an internship or TVET placement. The National Professional Internship Programme is for Rwandans who graduated from higher-learning institutions or polytechnics; an application is generally made no later than one year after graduation, with six months of internship and a possible additional period of up to six months. The programme provides transport facilitation of RWF 50,000 per month. Applications use RDB e-services. The TVET Career Portal is free for TVET students and graduates and supports CVs, jobs, internships and recommendations, but it does not automatically place someone in a job. Keep the CV, identity documents, certificates, contact details and online profiles current. Check the employer, vacancy, contract, termination reason and payment records, and do not pay an unverified recruitment fee. Registration as unemployed in a statistical survey does not by itself prove eligibility for a benefit.