The number of jobs created in Rwanda increased from 146,000 in 2014 to 235,332 in 2023, implying a 61 per cent rise within the last decade, according to data from the Ministry of Public Service and Labour.
This was announced as Rwanda joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Labour Day on May 1, under the national theme: "30 Years Fostering Youth-Led Employment”.
During the celebration of Labour Day, the Ministry of Public Service and Labour highlighted the landscape of employment performance and the different trends that have characterised employment and job creation in Rwanda.
The achievements made in seven years up to June 30, 2024, through National Strategy for Transformation (NST1), include the creation of more than 1.37 million jobs, or 94% of 1.5 million jobs by 2023, despite the devastating effects of the Covid 19 pandemic that hit the world, particularly Rwanda.
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In his opening remarks, Francois Ngoboka, the acting Chief Skills Officer in the Ministry of Public Service and Labour, emphasised the importance of youth engagement in a structured dialogue about effective and innovative employment investments in the green and digital economies, as well as how to maximise the opportunities that arise as a result.
"Despite the positive progress made in many countries during the post-recovery period, access to productive and decent employment remains a major challenge as mounting geopolitical crises continue to affect the world,” he said.
Promoting decent work and social justice allows every woman and man to have access to productive, community-based, and freely chosen employment, which is everyone’s joint responsibility, Ngoboka added.
As Rwanda celebrates Labour Day, the Government of Rwanda and the International Labour Organization launched a four-year project, the "Boosting Decent Jobs and Enhancing Skills for Youth in Rwanda’s Digital Economy” initiative, which aims to increase job creation and entrepreneurship opportunities, as well as improve digital skills for youth and facilitate their transition to decent work in the digital economy.
Abdallah Utumatwishima, Minister of Youth and Arts, spoke about the difficulties in finding jobs for young people, stating that "while the youth unemployment rate has fluctuated, it has never been less than 19%.”
"We continue to face significant challenges in finding jobs for young people. The Ministry of Youth and Arts has identified job-creation interventions that could benefit educated, less educated, and vulnerable youth in both rural and urban areas. In programmes such as public works, road maintenance, and rural feeder roads, we have seen young people who are well-educated enough to be engineers work alongside less educated youth,” Utumatwishima added.
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Jeannette Bayisenge, Minister of Public Service and Labour, delivered a speech in which she emphasised the importance of youth employment as the primary workforce and driver of long-term economic development.
"Today marks a significant step forward in our ongoing commitment to empowering our youth and capitalising on the already accumulated skills capital, primarily in ICT, with necessary infrastructures being a prerequisite to tap into digital job opportunities with a high potential for youth employment,” Bayisenge said.
Rwanda’s unemployment rate stood at 17 per cent by the end of 2023, with youth unemployment at 20 per cent.