Unemployment in Seychelles

The National Bureau of Statistics, known as NBS, publishes quarterly unemployment figures. The reported rate was 3.3% in the first quarter of 2026, after 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 2.0% in the fourth quarter of 2024. The fourth-quarter 2024 material recorded about 85,888 working-age people and 1,105 unemployed people, with reported subgroup rates of 8.2% for people aged 15 to 24, 2.2% for men and 1.8% for women. Publication of the second-quarter 2026 figures was planned for 30 September 2026. Employment Services, administered by the Ministry of Employment and Human Resource Planning, register people seeking work in a database. Registration records a national identification number, address, age, gender, preferred work, experience, qualifications and skills. Access is available through the Employment Department on Mahé and through outstation offices on Praslin and La Digue. Typical documents include an identity card, CV, references, Police Character Certificate and relevant certificates or licences. If a jobseeker has no CV, an officer can prepare one. Employment Services publish a weekly vacancy list through Seychelles Nation, refer suitable CVs to employers and expect weekly follow-up. Vacancies may also be found through private employment agencies, district service providers, television and newspapers. After placement, the database is updated. An older FAQ referred to jobseekers aged 15 to 62; the applicable age rule should be confirmed before relying on that information. The Unemployment Relief Scheme, or URS, operates under the URS Act 2026 from 1 April 2026. It is available to a Seychelles citizen who is unemployed and registered with the Ministry as a person seeking employment. The scheme provides employment opportunities and skills acquisition through approved projects. It does not create an automatic right to a job or a general unemployment payment. Participants can work up to 36 hours per week in a full-time placement or up to 24 hours in a part-time placement. A placement lasts six months and can continue only after a review. The ordinary maximum is three enrolments, although an exception may be possible with supporting documents. URS participants receive an allowance at least equal to the applicable minimum-wage hourly rate. The employer pays the allowance and may claim a 70% refund. The rules provide annual leave, sick leave, a lunch break and 24 hours of weekly rest, but no 13th-month payment. Time in the scheme does not count as service for benefits under the Employment Act. The regulations do not state a participant fee. A participant who has other paid work or access to a special programme is expected to use that opportunity. Unjustified refusal or non-use can end eligibility or participation for 12 months. Distance, old age, ill health, childcare and a prior disagreement are listed as possible valid reasons. The Chief Executive gives a written decision within 14 days, and an appeal to the Minister can be made within a further 14 days. Leaving a placement without an accepted reason or committing a serious disciplinary violation can result in a 12-month ban on re-enrolment. Seychelles does not have a separately listed general unemployment-insurance benefit in the statutory benefits catalogue of the Agency for Social Protection, or ASP. Income support is divided between the work-based temporary assistance of URS and Welfare Assistance. Welfare Assistance is a means-tested social safety net, meaning that ASP examines household income, resources and circumstances rather than paying automatically because someone has lost work. Unemployed people can be within its target group, but eligibility and the amount depend on the individual case. Applications for Welfare Assistance are made to ASP Benefit or Welfare Officers at District Administration Offices on designated days. The usual documents are valid identity cards for all household members, a rental agreement where relevant, payslips or employment contracts for all household members, utility bills, a loan agreement where relevant, other supporting documents and a valid bank-account card. ASP reviews the application and sends the result. An applicant can appeal within 21 days through the ASP Appeal Unit at Oceangate House. Before employer-caused unemployment through redundancy, the Employment Act and Ministry guidance provide a specific process for covered cases. The employer should notify the relevant authority at least 42 days before the planned termination notice, consult the worker and obtain a determination from a Competent Officer. The determination process takes at least 14 days, and the termination notice is issued only 21 days after the determination. An appeal to the Minister may be available. Affected workers should clarify the reason and timing, check statutory benefits and obtain a certificate of employment. The practical sequence for returning to work is registration, vacancy information, referral, weekly follow-up, placement and database updating. A URS approved project can add temporary work and practical skills, but it does not guarantee later employment. Current contact points listed for jobseeker registration and vacancy information are cbibi@employment.gov.sc and 2823182. Employment Programmes, including URS, list maria.fanchette@employment.gov.sc and 2517122. Praslin and La Digue use separate outstation contacts.