In total, the unemployment rate in Angola in 2024 was 31.5%, which corresponds to 5.6 million people out of work, and unemployment is higher in urban areas (34.3%) than in rural areas (26.4%).
The report indicates that 82.8% of the unemployed are aged between 15 and 34, with the unemployment rate reaching 57.7% among young people aged between 15 and 24. With an estimated population of 35.1 million in 2024, more than 56% of Angolans are aged 15 or over, i.e. they are part of the working-age population.
Overall, the activity rate in the country is 90%, which means that nine out of ten people of working age are in the labour market, either employed or looking for work.
Despite this high level of participation, the labour market is dominated by low-quality and informal employment, with the primary sector absorbing the most labour, in contrast to the weak weight of industry. The employment rate last year stood at 61.7% (12.2 million people), higher in the countryside (67.4%) than in the cities (58.6%).
Agriculture, hunting and fishing continue to absorb the largest share of the employed population (46.6%), followed by the tertiary sector (45.3%) and only 8.2% in the secondary sector.
The report also reveals that the Angolan labour market is highly informal, with almost 80% of workers lacking formal contracts. Among young people aged 15 to 24, the informality rate reaches 93%. In addition, 62.4% of workers only have verbal contracts and only 37.6% have written contracts.
As for their employment situation, the majority of Angolans are self-employed (44.6%), while only 18.9% are in the private sector and 8.5% in the public sector. The average number of hours worked per week is 44 hours, but this increases to 53 hours in the private sector, compared to 44 hours in the public sector.
Regionally, Bié province has the highest activity rate (95.6%), while Malanje has the lowest (83.4%). Huambo leads in the employment rate (78.2%), in contrast to Cabinda (48.1%), and Huíla stands out for having the highest unemployment rate (47.3%), while Kwanza Sul has the lowest (10.9%).
The employed population, which is predominantly female, is on average 37 years old.
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