Employment in Burundi

Burundi distinguishes formal employment from the much larger informal labour market. Detailed 2020 evidence recorded about 3.7 million own-farm workers; around 79% worked unpaid on their own or family land, non-farm employment represented about 15%, and private employers offered fewer than 20,000 formal wage jobs. Formal jobs are concentrated in Bujumbura Mairie, where about 80% of the 6,540 formal enterprises were located, so access in rural areas often depends on agriculture, informal work or relocation. These figures describe the 2020/2021 labour-market structure and should not be read as a current national rate without updated evidence. A job seeker may register or seek matching through the Office Burundais de l'Emploi, known as OBEM, apply for public vacancies and concours, use an authorised private employment agency, contact an employer directly or rely on professional networks. Recent employment-policy priorities include technical, digital and entrepreneurial skills, with stated attention to access for women, young people and people with disabilities. Competition can be high: a 2025 public call for teachers reportedly attracted more than 36,000 candidates for 2,000 posts, which signals strong competition for that call but does not establish a national success rate. Application languages vary; some public procedures require Kirundi and French, while Kiswahili may be an advantage. For dependent paid employment, the normal contract is an indefinite contract, called a contrat à durée indéterminée or CDI. A fixed-term contract, called a contrat à durée déterminée or CDD, is used for defined situations such as a specific temporary task, replacement, seasonal work, an occasional workload increase or certain employment and training arrangements. A written contract should be prepared in two signed copies, with one copy for the worker, and should state the parties, dates, duration, duties, workplace, classification, pay and signatures. A CDD should also state its purpose, term or minimum duration and any trial period; continuing work beyond its term can lead to an indefinite contract under the applicable rules. A daily worker should not fill a permanent post through a daily arrangement, and temporary work should have a written contract with the agency. The worker normally provides personal service at the agreed time and place, follows lawful instructions and workplace safety rules, protects confidential information and returns the employer's tools. The employer must provide work, pay regularly, give the worker a contract copy, arrange leave, register workers for social security and make the required contributions. Normal working time is generally limited to 8 hours per day and 45 hours per week. Weekly rest is at least 24 hours in seven days, normally on Sunday, and a break of at least 20 minutes follows six hours of work. Paid annual leave is at least 20 working days per year plus at least one day for every four years of service. Overtime may lead to a premium or compensatory rest. Equal pay applies to work of equal value, and the worker should receive a payslip when paid. Pay is negotiated within applicable legal and category-based minimums. Current minimum-wage zones and rates require verification against the latest ordinance because no reliable universal current amount is established here. Payment may be daily, weekly, every fifteen days or monthly depending on the engagement and agreement. Keep the contract, payslips, bank records, attendance evidence and relevant messages. Employers must declare hiring to OBEM and the Inspection Générale du Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale, known as IGTSS, within 25 working days, and social-security registration with INSS should occur within 8 working days after hiring. INSS coverage concerns old-age, disability and survivor pensions and work-related risks, but formal coverage cannot be assumed in informal work. The minimum working age is generally 16. Light work or apprenticeships may be possible from 14 or 15 under conditions, while workers under 18 must not perform dangerous or night work. A foreign worker from outside the relevant national arrangements generally needs a work permit or special authorisation before starting work; a tourist visa normally does not authorise employment. A regular foreign worker is protected by the same Code-based employment rights, and the contract should use an official language the worker understands. A medical fitness certificate is a prerequisite. A CDD normally ends when its term expires and usually does not require notice or severance. A worker ending a CDI should give explicit written notice. An employer ending a CDI needs a precise, objective, serious and verifiable reason and must respect the applicable notice period: one month for service of less than three years, one and a half months for three to five years, two months for five to ten years and three months after more than ten years. The worker's notice period is half the employer's period. At the end of employment, request the final settlement and an attestation des services rendus showing entry and exit dates, the nature of the work and the social-security number without adverse remarks. On written request, the certificate should be delivered within a maximum of 15 working days. IGTSS offers worker information, inspection and conciliation; if conciliation fails, the Tribunal du Travail may be the next channel. OBEM fees and processing times, current agency authorisations, vacancy deadlines and current wage ordinances should be verified locally before payment or reliance on a specific procedure. Never make an unreceipted recruitment payment, especially in cross-border recruitment, where fraud and contract mismatches are significant risks.