How does work in Brunei differ between dependent employment and business activity?

Dependent employment is based on an employment relationship covering the contract, pay and working arrangements. Business activity involves choosing a structure such as a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, company or foreign company branch, with different effects on liability, ownership, registration, tax and filing duties.

How should a person compare private-sector and public-sector work in Brunei?

In 2024, 69.8 percent of employed people worked in the private sector and 30.2 percent in the public sector. The comparison should also consider the type of employer, the applicable recruitment process, the contract and the duties attached to the position.

What should a foreign worker check before starting work in Brunei?

The worker should confirm the employer-led approval process and whether the permission is tied to the specific employer, occupation and purpose. Regulated professions may additionally require qualification recognition, registration and a practising certificate or licence.

Work in Brunei

Work in Brunei covers dependent employment, employer responsibilities, unemployment, labour-market conditions, professions and business activity. In 2025, Brunei's labour force numbered around 232,000, with a labour-force participation rate of 66.5 percent and an unemployment rate of 5.0 percent; in 2024, 69.8 percent of employed people worked in the private sector and 30.2 percent in the public sector. Access and obligations depend on whether someone is an employee, employer, job seeker, professional or business owner, and foreign workers generally need employer-led approval tied to the job.

Tip

Choose your work arrangement in Brunei by first deciding whether you will work under an employer, practise a regulated profession or run a registered business. The choice affects approval, liability, tax, filing duties and the checks you need, while a foreign worker must keep permission aligned with the specific employer, occupation and purpose. Treat a job ending, regulated work and a business launch as separate checks rather than assuming one approval covers all three.

bySiti&Ahmad

Employment

Dependent employment in Brunei covers job seeking, employment contracts, pay and working life. It ends with termination or contract expiry and may require cancellation of a work pass. Private-sector jobs often run through PPB, while government positions run through PSC. Foreign workers need an employer-led approval process.

Employer

Employers in Brunei organise employment, hire workers, pay wages and assume duties concerning working hours, records, safety and health. They include private companies, government or statutory employers, and private households acting as employers. Responsibilities are distributed among several bodies, particularly the labour department (Department of Labour), the employment service (JobCentre Brunei), the workplace safety authority (SHENA), the employee trust fund (TAP), the immigration authority and the company and business-name registry (ROCBN). Requirements depend, among other things, on worker category, sector, contract and employer form.

Unemployment

Unemployment in Brunei describes a period without paid work while a person is seeking work and available to start; people with a confirmed future start date can be treated differently in official statistics. Brunei has no evidenced direct unemployment-insurance scheme or automatic cash payment based only on unemployment. Support instead combines JobCentre Brunei vacancy matching, targeted welfare, labour-law remedies and transition programmes.

Labor market

Brunei's labour market comprised around 232,000 people in the labour force in 2025; the labour force participation rate was 66.5 percent and the unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. In 2024, 69.8 percent of employed people worked in the private sector and 30.2 percent in the public sector. Trade, construction, public administration, services, information and communication technology, and technical occupations shape employment and change.

Professions

Professions in Brunei cover public administration, energy, construction and engineering, manufacturing, commerce, finance, ICT, transport, health, education, hospitality, agriculture and professional services. In the latest complete occupation profile for 2024, 222,700 people aged 15 and over were employed; service and sales workers formed the largest group at 51,100, followed by professionals at 39,700 and technicians and associate professionals at 33,000. Entry depends on the occupation: an employer may assess skills and experience, while regulated work requires qualification recognition, registration and a practising certificate or licence. Local and foreign access also differs because Brunei prioritizes local recruitment and ties foreign-worker permissions to a specific employer, occupation and purpose.

Business

Business in Brunei can be organised as a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, company or foreign company branch. The choice affects personal liability, ownership, registration, tax and ongoing filing duties. Registration with the Registry of Companies and Business Names (ROCBN) through the One Common Portal (OCP) does not by itself authorise every activity, because premises and sector approvals may also be required.

Dependent employment in Brunei includes finding a job, agreeing an employment contract, receiving pay, working under the employer's arrangements and ending the relationship through termination or contract expiry. Foreign workers usually need an employer-led approval process, and the work permission is connected to the specific employment. Ending a job may therefore require cancellation of the relevant work pass. Employers include private companies, government or statutory employers and private households. Their duties can cover wages, working hours, employment records, workplace safety and health. Responsibility is shared among bodies such as the Department of Labour, JobCentre Brunei, SHENA, TAP, the immigration authority and the Registry of Companies and Business Names. The applicable requirements depend on the worker category, sector, contract and form of employer. Unemployment describes a period without paid work while a person is seeking work and available to start. A confirmed future start date can affect how unemployment is treated in official statistics. Being unemployed does not by itself create an automatic cash payment under a direct unemployment-insurance system. Support may instead combine vacancy matching through JobCentre Brunei, targeted welfare, labour-law remedies and transition programmes. Brunei's labour force was around 232,000 people in 2025. The labour-force participation rate was 66.5 percent and the unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. In 2024, 69.8 percent of employed people worked in the private sector and 30.2 percent in the public sector. These figures describe the labour market as a whole and do not determine an individual's access to a particular job. Professions in Brunei include work in public administration, energy, construction and engineering, manufacturing, commerce, finance, information and communication technology, transport, health, education, hospitality, agriculture and professional services. In the complete 2024 occupation profile, 222,700 people aged 15 and over were employed. Service and sales workers formed the largest group with 51,100 people, followed by professionals with 39,700 and technicians and associate professionals with 33,000. An employer may assess skills and experience for some jobs, while regulated work can require qualification recognition, registration and a practising certificate or licence. Business activity is another work option. Brunei allows business structures such as a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, company and foreign company branch. The choice affects personal liability, ownership, registration, tax and continuing filing duties. Registration with the Registry of Companies and Business Names through the One Common Portal does not automatically authorise every activity; premises approvals and sector-specific permissions may also be required.