The National institute of Statistics of Rwanda today released the labor force survey. The survey put overall unemployment in Rwanda at 16.7%.

According to the Director General of NISR, Yusuf Murangwa the rise in the unemployment percentage was due to the change in definition of employment. 

 “The new international standards recognize work and employment differently. For example, work for own use production, mainly subsistence agriculture is not considered employment but rather work. This excludes subsistence farmers from employment hence increasing the unemployment rate,” Murangwa explained. He also noted that under the new definition, persons in employment are those aged 16 and above who are engaged I any activity to produce goods or provide services in exchange for pay or profit.

The 19th International Labor Organization conference of labor statisticians held in Geneva, October 2013, resolved on new standards and definitions regarding statistics of work, employment and labor underutilization. The new standards and definitions replaced those of the 13th conference held in 1982.

The labor force survey was designed to allow computation of key labor market indicators using both new and old definitions. Under the new definition, as of February 2017

•Unemployment was 4.5% under the previous definition and 16.7% I the new one

•Youth unemployment rate was 7.1% nut under the new definition it was 21%

•Percentage working in agriculture was 68% under the old definition and 45.9% under the new one 

From a policy perspective, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Claver Gatete noted that the new definition provides the opportunity for proper assessment that allow adequate measures of promoting productive and decent work to be implemented.