Labor market in Cameroon

The EESI3 survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (Institut National de la Statistique) covered twelve survey areas in Cameroon in 2021. Among people aged 14 and over, the labor-force participation rate was 54.2%, and the employment rate was 50.8%. Men had a labor-force participation rate of 61.4%, compared with 47.3% for women. 13.1% of employed people had more than one activity. The most comprehensive available household data therefore describe the situation in 2021 and are not an ongoing unemployment or employment statistic for 2026. Employment is predominantly informal. In 2021, 86.6% of jobs were in the informal sector, including 52.0% in non-agricultural activities and 34.7% in agricultural activities. The public sector accounted for 8.2% of jobs and the formal private sector for 5.1%. By economic sector, 35.2% were in the primary sector, 17.5% in industry, 14.6% in trade and 32.7% in services. Around 78.3% of informally employed people worked on their own account; about 6% were wage earners. Formal employment relationships therefore represent only part of the overall labor market. Among informally employed people, 52.3% had some form of contractual basis, but only 2.1% had a written contract and 50.2% had an oral agreement. 47.2% worked more than 40 hours per week; the average was 40.5 hours. Average monthly income was 83,409 FCFA, compared with 96,367 FCFA in urban areas and 59,520 FCFA in rural areas. About three quarters learned their occupation through self-learning or practical experience. Services were the largest group within informal employment, at 35.0%. The regional distribution varies. In the EESI3 survey areas, employment rates were 63.5% in Sud, 62.8% in Est and 56.5% in Centre excluding Yaoundé. These areas do not fully correspond to the administrative regions, so regional comparisons should be read cautiously. Wage employment was much more common in Yaoundé, at 64.6%, and Douala, at 48.5%, than in many rural areas. In 2021, young people aged 15 to 34 had an employment rate of 39.3%. The rate was 47.2% among young men and 31.3% among young women. It was 43.0% in rural areas and 37.1% in urban areas. Women were especially likely to work independently in the informal sector: 68.3% of employed women did so, compared with 48.2% of men. Migration also affects the labor market. Around one fifth of employed people were migrants. The share was 43.0% in the Littoral survey area excluding Douala, 36.1% in Centre excluding Yaoundé and about 30% in Douala and Yaoundé. The National Employment Fund (Fonds National de l'Emploi, FNE) supports both job placement and the reintegration of returning Cameroonian emigrants. A national labor migration policy had not yet been adopted according to the 2025 ILO review; available labor migration data remain incomplete. Since 2007, the structure has shifted. The share of agricultural employment fell from 57.0% to 42.4%, while the share of wage jobs rose from 17.0% to 23.6%. Services, trade, transport and communications, as well as personal services, gained importance. However, much of this work remains low-productivity, and self-employment continues to be the predominant form. The Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Formation Professionnelle, MINEFOP) is responsible for vocational training and career guidance. Pathways include formal vocational education, public or private providers and apprenticeships in companies. Qualifications may include CAP, DQP, CQP and DTS. Validation of Acquired Experience (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience, VAE) enables acquired work experience to be recognized when the applicable conditions are met. Access, duration and cost depend on the provider and qualification; a uniform national fee is not documented. Mismatches exist between training and actual demand, and some DQP qualifications have limited recognition, particularly when issued by non-accredited providers. Public employment services are provided by the FNE, which has operated since 1990 as the Public Employment Service (Service Public de l'Emploi). Its services are free for jobseekers and employers. The FNE offers, among other things, career guidance, an online profile with a résumé, access to job vacancies and matching between employers and applicants. Its network includes 17 agencies and programs such as PED-CI, USEP, PADER, BUREAU and CIIEJ. Formal access generally requires a dossier or profile and compliance with the criteria of the relevant program. Placement is not guaranteed. Informal activities often arise through personal networks, family contacts, practical experience or self-employment. The statutory minimum wage (SMIG) has been 43,969 FCFA per month for civil servants covered by the Labor Code since February 23, 2024. This amount is not a general income standard for self-employed or informal work. Wages outside this scope depend on the activity, contract and employer and are based on collective or individual agreements. The Labor Code limits working time to 40 hours per week in the non-agricultural sector and 48 hours in agriculture. For covered employers and employees, registration with the National Social Insurance Fund (Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale, CNPS) is mandatory. The CNPS covers, among other things, old-age benefits, family benefits, maternity, workplace accidents and occupational diseases. Sickness and unemployment are currently not part of regular CNPS coverage. Protection remains limited for informal workers; the CNPS operates two centers for the informal sector. Cameroon’s labor market therefore cannot be understood solely through formal jobs, public employers or registered contracts. Employment type, region, gender, age, training, working time, income, access to placement services and social protection all matter together.