Labor market in Tonga

The 2023 Tonga Labour Force Survey recorded 65,471 people aged 15 and over, including 29,253 in the labor force, 28,603 employed people and 650 people who met the survey definition of unemployment. The unemployment rate was 2.2%, and youth unemployment was 6%. The survey counted someone as seeking work when they had looked for work during the previous four weeks and were available to start within the following two weeks. The employment-to-population ratio was 43.7%. Women had a lower labor-force participation rate than men, 39.2% compared with 51.1%, and their employment-to-population ratio was 38.2% compared with 50.2% for men. Around 55% of people aged 15 and over were outside the labor force, especially because of family responsibilities or study. Tonga's labor market is concentrated in services, which represented 60.5% of employment in the survey, followed by industry at 26.6% and agriculture, forestry and fishing at 12.9%. The largest activity groups included public administration and defence at 16.0%, manufacturing at 15.0%, agriculture, forestry and fishing at 12.9%, wholesale and retail at 11.8%, education at 10.8%, construction at 9.6% and accommodation and food services at 3.4%. Public services are more prominent in urban areas, while the outer islands rely more heavily on agriculture and fishing. Craft and related trades accounted for 22.9% of occupations, professionals were especially common in urban areas, and service and sales work accounted for 14.9%. Informal employment is a major part of work in Tonga. It represented 15,292 jobs, or 53.5% of employment, with similar shares for women and men. Informal work was particularly common in agriculture and fishing, where it reached 94%, and among workers with primary education or less, where it reached 85%. Employment status also varies: employees represented 66.9% of workers, employers 13.3%, own-account workers 15.3% and contributing family workers 4.5%. These figures mean that a job search should consider paid employment, self-employment, family work and community-based activity rather than assuming that all work is advertised through a formal vacancy system. The workforce is unevenly distributed across the islands. About 78% of the working-age population lived in rural areas and 22% in urban Tongatapu, while 76% of the labor force was rural and 24% urban. Labor-force participation was higher in urban Tongatapu at 49.7% than in rural areas at 42.9%. Average monthly pay for employees was TOP 1,591 in the 2023 survey, with an average of TOP 1,651 for men and TOP 1,516 for women. Average pay was lower in Ha'apai at TOP 1,162 and Ongo Niua at TOP 1,119. Average working time was 35.8 hours per week, and 20% of workers worked fewer than 30 hours. No statutory minimum wage was identifiable in the cited official sources, so pay and working conditions remain strongly dependent on the contract and sector. Skills and qualifications affect job matching but do not guarantee a job. The Ministry of Education and Training, Tonga National University, the Tonga National Qualifications and Accreditation Board and providers such as CITVS support certificates, diplomas, degrees, postgraduate study, technical and vocational education, and recognition of skills gained through informal work. Relevant fields include information and communication technology, agriculture, construction, engineering, maritime work, tourism, carpentry, electrical engineering, automotive work, plumbing, welding and horticulture. Course access, fees and admission rules depend on the provider and course. The qualification framework can make skills easier for employers to assess, but it does not create an automatic employment entitlement. The Ministry of Trade and Economic Development provides employment services and labor-market information through units dealing with employment regulation, labor-market research and labor standards. In financial year 2022/23, its employment service recorded 443 registered job seekers, 82% of them women, mostly aged 18 to 30 and with secondary qualifications. Matching coverage remains limited, so people also contact employers directly and use the Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, community networks and family networks. Skills mismatch remains a documented problem. Overseas employment is a major labor-market pathway. Tonga's Ministry of Internal Affairs Overseas Employment Division manages a work-ready pool and supports registration, screening, pre-departure training and selection. In the second quarter of financial year 2025/26, the ministry reported 1,106 mobilized workers, including 417 under New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme and 689 under Australia's Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme; 259 were women. New Zealand's scheme mainly covers horticulture and viticulture and generally allows up to seven months in an eleven-month period. Australia's scheme allows short-term stays of up to nine months or long-term placements of one to four years. Eligibility, selection and travel arrangements depend on the program and employer. Program rules provide workplace protections, while employers cover specified travel or accommodation costs and may recover some advances from wages. Tonga's labor market is also affected by the return of workers, remittances, skills shortages, limited private-sector capacity, natural disasters and climate-related risks to tourism, construction, transport and basic services.