Work in Guinea-Bissau

People work in private companies, public bodies, NGOs, religious institutions, cooperatives, family businesses and their own small activities. Employment may involve an individual contract, an apprenticeship or informal arrangements without full contributory protection. The Labour Code and Lei n.º 7/2022 provide key rules for private employment, including responsibilities for pay, working time, leave, safety, social insurance and termination. Public-service employment follows a separate regime. Guinea-Bissau’s labor market is largely informal. Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 46.4% of valid occupation cases in the 2021–22 EHCVM survey by INE, and cashew production provides substantial work. Low unemployment figures do not necessarily mean stable, well-paid or protected jobs. AGEFP, also designated ANGEFP in some ILO materials, offers job information, vocational training and employability support, although its nationwide implementation is not fully effective. A profession may be entered through practical experience, local networks or formal qualifications. Regulated work can additionally require sectoral authorization. A business may operate as a sole trader or through a form such as a SARL, SA, SAS or GIE. Formal trade normally involves the Enterprise Formalization Center (Centro de Formalização de Empresas, CFE), registration in the Trade and Movable Credit Register (Registre du Commerce et du Crédit Mobilier, RCCM) and a tax identification number (NIF). Very small traders and farmers often operate informally, but informal activity does not provide the full legal effect of registration, tax compliance and operating permits. When work ends, Guinea-Bissau has no evidenced nationwide unemployment benefit or unified unemployment-registration system, so access to income support should not be assumed.