Employment in Yemen

Yemen's formal employment framework is based mainly on Labour Code No. 5 of 1995 and later amendments. Public employees follow the Civil Service Law No. 19 of 1991. Military and security work, diplomatic service, domestic work, casual work and large parts of agriculture and pastoral work may fall outside the Labour Code, so the applicable rules depend on the type of work and institution. National rules apply across Yemen, while practical access and enforcement can differ by governorate, district and institution. A job seeker can register with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour or the Labour office serving the place of residence. The registration records age, occupation, qualifications, previous experience and address. The office should provide a receipt showing the date, time and registration number. Formal placement is based on suitability and the order of registration. An employer should report a vacancy within seven days, including the job, wage and intended filling period. If the Ministry does not nominate a candidate within 15 days, the employer may fill the position directly and report the appointment within seven days. Employment-related transactions are free for Yemeni citizens. A nationally verified digital job portal was not established in the available research. A formal individual employment contract is written in Arabic and prepared in three copies for the worker, employer and Ministry office. It states at least the pay, duties, workplace, starting date and duration. An indefinite term is the default when no fixed term is agreed. A probation period may last up to six months and may be used only once for the same work. If no written contract exists, permitted forms of evidence can still establish the employment relationship, but proving pay, duties and duration becomes more difficult. Foreign workers generally need residence and work permits, suitable qualifications and health clearance. The permitted job must match the work permit, and the employer must show that no qualified Yemeni worker is available. Foreign workers may not exceed 10% of the employer's Yemeni workforce under the stated framework. Work permits involve fees, whereas employment-related transactions for Yemeni citizens are free. The Labour Code sets minimum standards for pay and working conditions. Pay may not fall below the minimum used for state administration, and piece-rate pay may not fall below the applicable branch-specific daily minimum. Employers pay in the legal currency at the workplace and on the regular payday. Monthly wages are due by the sixth day of the following month, half-month wages by the third day after the pay period, and hourly, daily or weekly wages at least weekly. Final pay is due on the day after employment ends, or within six days when the worker resigns. Wage deductions generally require a final judgment or agreement. A deduction for damage may not exceed 25% of basic monthly pay. Night work carries a 15% premium, qualifying shift work a 10% premium, and overtime is paid at 1.5 times the normal rate or twice the rate for night work, rest days and public holidays. An employer cannot change a monthly wage arrangement to hourly, daily or piece-rate pay without the worker's consent. Normal working time is up to eight hours a day and 48 hours a week over six working days, followed by one paid rest day. During Ramadan, the stated limit is six hours a day and 36 hours a week. A break may last up to one hour, and continuous work may not exceed five hours. Regular work and overtime together may not exceed 12 hours in a day. Friday is the usual weekly rest day, although another rest day may be arranged. The work schedule should be displayed. Annual leave is at least 30 days per service year, or 2.5 days per month, with transfer limited to half of the entitlement. Public holidays are additional. The reported sickness schedule provides full pay for two months, 85% for the third and fourth months, 75% for the fifth and sixth months, and 50% for the seventh and eighth months, followed in some cases by unpaid leave. Work injuries and occupational diseases receive full pay on medical recommendation. After four years of service, a worker can receive 20 days of Hajj leave once. Pregnancy leave is 60 days on full pay, with an additional 20 days for a difficult birth or twins. Workers are expected to perform their duties faithfully and regularly, follow lawful instructions and safety rules, respect working time, protect confidential information, develop their skills and return tools or materials. Employers are responsible for safe conditions, workplace information, registers, dignity at work and training. A worker should not be transferred to substantially different work without consent. Disciplinary measures can include a written notice or warning, a wage deduction of up to 20% of basic pay, or dismissal while preserving other accrued claims. A serious sanction should follow an investigation, and the worker may defend themselves and use a union or worker representative. The Ministry's General Administration of Labour Inspection and General Administration of Occupational Safety and Health handle formal inspection. Inspectors may examine workplaces and documents. The usual enforcement sequence is warning, correction and then sanction or arbitration. The General Corporation for Social Insurance monitors social-insurance contributions. Practical enforcement is uneven: small and medium-sized businesses are often not reached by inspections, workplace injuries are under-recorded and no reliable nationwide company or inspection register was established in the available research. A legal entitlement therefore does not guarantee that a worker can obtain it quickly in practice. A workplace dispute normally begins with an internal attempt to resolve the matter within one month. If that fails, the worker can seek mediation through the Ministry for up to two weeks. The dispute can then go to an Arbitration Committee within two weeks after the failed mediation. Committees operate in the capital and governorates and include Ministry, employer and worker representatives. A worker can challenge a disciplinary result within one month. For arbitrary termination, the available legal framework provides compensation in addition to unpaid wages, notice and other claims, with the Arbitration Committee's compensation limited to six months of wages; reinstatement was not identified in the available ILO assessment. Employment can end through notice, immediate dismissal in specified serious cases, resignation, permanent closure, qualified redundancy, retirement age or medical unfitness. Notice is 30 days for monthly pay, 15 days for half-monthly pay and one week for hourly, daily, weekly or piece-rate pay. Pay instead of notice is possible. A service certificate should be issued free of charge. The reported social-insurance regime may provide a pension or lump sum; otherwise, the stated minimum severance is one month's wage for each year of service. Many workers instead rely on informal direct hiring, small businesses, agriculture, day work, piece-rate work and personal networks. Labour-force data are limited: the 2013–2014 survey estimated that 73.2% of employment was informal, while a 2024 national review using a 2023 ILO model estimated that about one third of adults were in the labour force, around half of workers were self-employed and 30% worked in the public sector. These figures are dated or modelled and should not be treated as a current nationwide survey. Emergency employment, livelihood grants, apprenticeships, vocational or business training and microbusiness support can provide functional alternatives, including programmes associated with ERRY III, UNDP, ILO, FAO and WFP. Access depends on the project, target group and selected governorates, with particular attention in some programmes to women, young people and rural communities. Such programmes do not create a general entitlement and do not replace an employment contract. The available ILO and UNDP apprenticeship data record 802 participants across the overall programme and 74 completions in Radfan and Lahj, including 35 women. Local availability, current eligibility and the legal status of any offered work should be checked with the responsible office or programme.