Unemployment in Cabo Verde

The National Institute of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE)) counts a person aged 15 or over as unemployed if they worked less than one hour during the reference week, looked for work during the previous four weeks and are immediately available. The broader underutilization of labour supply was 28.4 percent in 2024 and additionally included 18,402 underemployed people and 35,105 inactive but available people without current job-seeking activity. This figure does not describe the same thing as the unemployment rate. An INE annual figure for 2025 gives 6.2 percent; a separately corrected publication for the second half of 2025 gives 11,043 unemployed people and 4.9 percent. The periods and series therefore should not be directly combined. For formal job seeking, register with the Centre for Employment and Vocational Training (Centro de Emprego e Formação Profissional (CEFP)) in your area of residence. Where there is no CEFP, the municipal council (Câmara Municipal) serves as the point of contact. Registration can be completed through the PEPE portal (PEPE) or in person and can be done without a stated official fee. The Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP)) generally requires a valid identity card or residence permit, an educational or vocational qualification and a CV. The CEFP provides job vacancies, career guidance, further training and other reintegration offers; it does not automatically place someone in a job. The contributory unemployment benefit (Subsídio de desemprego) is generally intended for insured employees under the general regime (Regime Geral) who live in Cabo Verde and became involuntarily unemployed. At least 180 days as an employee with recorded earnings within the relevant 24-month period are required. The rules do not automatically apply to self-employed people; public employees, employees covered by REMPE and domestic workers may be subject to separate rules or rules that are not yet fully transferable. The reason for termination must be documented. This may include termination by the employer, expiry of a contract without an old-age, invalidity or occupational-injury pension, and a justified resignation. In a disputed dismissal, evidence of court proceedings may be required; an unjustified refusal to continue the employment relationship may exclude entitlement. The employer should declare the termination within five working days, or the insured person requests the corresponding declaration. The application for the Subsídio de desemprego must be submitted within no more than 60 consecutive days after unemployment begins to the National Social Security Institute (INPS), at the place of residence or online. It includes the form and the employer's declaration stating the date of the last wage payment and, where applicable, a project for self-employment. If a complete application is submitted late but still within the statutory period, the benefit period is shortened by the length of the delay. The INPS examines the application, recognizes entitlement, pays the benefit and checks irregularities. The CEFP checks ability and availability for work, prepares and monitors the Personal Employment Plan (Plano Pessoal de Emprego (PPE)) and summons the person for monitoring or counselling. The daily benefit is 65 percent of the reference earnings. The reference earnings equal all employment earnings from the six calendar months before unemployment, divided by 180. The monthly payment may not be below the statutory minimum monthly wage, may not exceed 2.5 times that minimum wage and may not exceed the reference earnings. The duration depends on age and insurance periods. People under 35 receive 60 days with less than 24 months of insurance and 90 days with at least 24 months. For people aged 35 to 49, the periods are 90 and 120 days respectively; for people aged 50 or over, they are 120 and 150 days. A one-time lump-sum payment may be possible if the benefit is used for an own employment or business project. During receipt of the benefit, active job seeking, evidence of applications and acceptance of suitable work, a vocational measure or socially necessary work are required. Suitable activities have legal working conditions and an appropriate task profile, including work in another occupation or economic sector. Gross pay must be at least ten percent above the benefit during the first three months and must reach at least the benefit amount from the fourth month. Average travel costs may be no more than five percent of gross pay or of the previous travel costs, unless the employer provides transport. Evidence of applications may include written responses, offers from the CEFP or from the media, unsolicited applications, online vacancies, CV registration or an own business initiative. The PPE must be signed and fulfilled. As a rule, the unemployed person must report every two weeks to the CEFP, the INPS or the designated office. Changes of residence, an annual exemption, stays abroad or maternity must be reported to the CEFP; the INPS must be informed of all circumstances that may trigger suspension or termination. An annual exemption from receiving the benefit may last no more than 30 uninterrupted days and must be announced at least 30 days in advance. Taking up employment, self-employment, paid training, maternity, paternity, adoption, military service or imprisonment may suspend or terminate the benefit. After a permitted interruption, a notification and new CEFP registration are generally required within 30 days. Employment lasting at least three days or a stay abroad of more than three months may terminate the suspended entitlement; an overall five-year period from the application date applies. The benefit also ends in the event of employment, deletion of the CEFP registration, fraud or expiry of the benefit period. Violations may result in a warning, deletion of the registration, suspension or termination of the benefit, as well as fines of 10,000 to 200,000 CVE for individuals and 30,000 to 1,000,000 CVE for companies. Unreported work may exclude receipt of the benefit for up to two years. Anyone who is not entitled to the contributory Subsídio de desemprego may, under certain circumstances, be considered through the Single Social Register (Cadastro Social Único (CSU)) for the non-contributory Social Inclusion Income (Rendimento Social de Inclusão (RSI)). The RSI is not unemployment insurance and does not arise solely from unemployment. Support depends on selection through the CSU and current programme availability; registration takes place locally through the Câmara Municipal, while the Ministry of Family, Inclusion and Social Development (Ministério da Família, Inclusão e Desenvolvimento Social (MFIDS)) coordinates the programme. An official MFIDS figure states that particularly vulnerable households, especially those in Group I, may receive time-limited support of 5,500 CVE per month; earlier or expanded RSI rules may have different requirements.