Agriculture, especially cashew production, livestock and fishing, is central to employment and contributes more than 45% of gross domestic product; the World Bank estimated that agriculture involved about 80% of the workforce in 2023. The private formal sector remains small and locally dominated, with many micro- and small businesses and limited industry. Climate conditions, price changes and political instability affect employment and income across several occupations. The 2021–22 EHCVM occupation distribution records 29.5% in elementary occupations, 11.7% in sales and services, 5.3% in industry and craft work, 3.1% in intellectual and scientific work, 1.8% in plant and machine occupations, 0.7% in administration, 0.8% in intermediate occupations, 0.5% in military occupations and 0.3% in management. These figures describe valid survey cases, not a complete population estimate. Informal work commonly begins through self-employment, family work, practical instruction and local networks. Formal employment usually depends on the employer's requirements, a vacancy announcement, a qualification and a written contract. Guinea-Bissau has no nationwide unified register or licence covering every profession. Individual professions and sectors may have their own authorization, registration or proof-of-qualification rules. INAFOR, a public body under the education sector, supports vocational entry, qualification, retraining, further training, intermediate training and specialization. Training can involve short-, medium- or long-duration courses, capitalizable modules, seminars, internships and workplace learning. Providers issue certificates, using a ministry-validated model where applicable. External providers require a protocol and accreditation. AGEFP lists public and private centres including CENFI, SENAI, ENA, ADPP, CIFAP and centres for agriculture, fishing and crafts, but access, selection, duration and fees vary by programme. The available evidence describes the training system as strongly underdeveloped and provides no unified national fee or duration table. The 2024 QNQ-GB policy document establishes a ten-level framework for formal, non-formal and informal learning. It is intended to support transparency, progression, recognition of prior learning and recognition of foreign qualifications. QUANEF-GB remains a pilot project in the available evidence. Its records include duration, hours and accreditation as search fields, and the recorded education system includes training centres, technical schools, polytechnic institutions, universities and other providers. The Código do Trabalho, established by Lei 7/2022 and in force since 19 July 2022, covers dependent work for companies, NGOs, religious organizations, cooperatives, mixed enterprises and certain individual public contracts. Civil servants may also fall under separate public-service rules. Workers have rights to free occupational choice, equal treatment, freedom from forced labour and discrimination, safe and hygienic conditions, timely pay, suitable employment, professional development, trade-union activity, collective bargaining and strikes. Workers must follow safety instructions and report hazards; employers must provide an occupational safety and health system, protection and instruction. A written employment contract is generally required. It normally identifies the parties, workplace, occupational category or function, pay, working time and start date. A fixed-term contract, including extensions, normally cannot exceed six years or two extensions, subject to special rules for first employment. Contracts for a specific task lasting no more than 30 days have a stated exception, and fixed-term contracts must be deposited with the Inspeção do Trabalho. Normal working time is up to eight hours per day and 45 hours per week. Agricultural work has a limit of 44 hours per week and 10 hours per day. Annual leave is at least 22 working days. Guinea-Bissau has a statutory minimum wage covering workers including agricultural workers, with the amount set annually by the government through social dialogue; the available evidence does not establish a reliable current amount. Work-injury compensation and compulsory insurance also apply under the labour framework. The Direcção-Geral do Trabalho, the Inspeção do Trabalho and the responsible labour and social-affairs ministry oversee enforcement. Enforcement is constrained by informality: the ILO reported that more than 94% of economic activity was informal in 2024, with informality affecting about 96% of women, while contributory social protection covered less than 3% of people. Career development commonly moves from practical work to vocational training, certification, further training, retraining or specialization, and sometimes higher education. Progression depends strongly on the sector, employer, location and degree of formal employment, with rural and urban differences and unequal access for women and young people.
Professions in Guinea-Bissau
Professions in Guinea-Bissau range from agricultural, fishing and basic service work to public administration and specialized technical occupations. Agriculture, forestry and fishing represented 46.4% of valid occupation cases in the 2021–22 EHCVM survey by INE, while informal self-employment and family work remain widespread. Entry may rely on practical experience or local networks, while formal jobs and regulated professions require the qualification, contract or sectoral authorization set by the relevant employer or authority.
Tip
Treat professions in Guinea-Bissau as a choice between practical informal entry, vocational preparation and formal employment, not as one national licensing system. Informal self-employment or family work can fit when immediate local work is available and no sectoral authorization is required, but income and social protection may be less secure. For a formal or regulated occupation, prioritize verifiable training, a written contract and sector-specific authorization before starting.