Agriculture emerges as the leading sector in terms of employment. The Labour Force Survey indicates that 1.7 million individuals, comprising 46.3% of the employed population, are engaged in agricultural activities. This figure is relatively high, as the country aims to reduce the proportion of agriculture-related employment to 30%.
The second most prominent economic activity is wholesale and retail trade, along with the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles. This sector employs 492,726 individuals, representing 13% of the employed population.
The real estate sector also contributes significantly to employment opportunities. In February 2023, the sector employed 307,229 people, accounting for 8.1% of the employed population.
According to figures from the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), real estate accounted for 67.8% of development projects, playing a critical role in the country’s economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Transportation employs 203,586 individuals, equivalent to 5.4% of the employed population, while industry provides employment to 195,191 individuals, accounting for 5.1% of the total.
Other notable sectors include activities of households, employing 147,074 individuals (3.9%); education, employing 144,661 individuals (3.8%); accommodation and food service activities, employing 110,540 individuals (2.9%); as well as governance and the mining sector, which account for 2.7% and 1.1% of employment, respectively.
As per the Labour Force Survey, in February 2023, the working-age population (16 years and above) was approximately 8 million, with 3,803,942 individuals employed, 792,115 unemployed, and 3,380,192 individuals out of the labor force.
The sum of the employed and unemployed populations gives a total labor force of 4,596,057 individuals.
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