Employment in Guyana

Employees and other salaried workers in Guyana usually work for a private company, public institution or not-for-profit organization. The 2025 Q4 Guyana Labour Force Survey reported 421,334 employed people in a working-age population of 758,567. Labour-force participation was 59.2% and unemployment was 6.2%; unemployment was higher among people aged 15 to 24 at 12.6%, among women at 8.7% and in rural areas at 6.6%, compared with 5.1% in urban areas. Employees made up 67.3% of employment, while employers accounted for 12%, own-account workers for 19.2% and contributing family workers for 1.4%. Depending on the statistical definition, informal employment was measured at 43.2% or 47.3%, so a worker should check whether an arrangement provides a written agreement, payroll records and social-insurance coverage. Private organizations employed 60.4% of workers, public institutions 25.5% and not-for-profit organizations 14.1%. Major employment fields included wholesale and retail at 14.7%, construction at 12.5%, public administration and defence at 10%, agriculture, forestry and fishing at 9.8%, manufacturing at 8.7% and mining and quarrying at 6.1%. Average monthly labour-related income for salaried workers was GYD 166,975, with averages of GYD 181,594 for men and GYD 146,866 for women. Average usual working time was 47.6 hours per week. The Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA) and the National Job Bank provide free public employment services in all 10 Regions. A job seeker can register, receive vacancy matching, attend interviews, obtain career counselling, prepare a CV and practise interviews through Job Readiness support, or attend an employment fair. The main CRMA office is at 82 Brickdam, Georgetown, with stated opening hours of Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 16:30 and Friday from 8:00 to 15:30. Digital access is national, while physical access is more centralized in Georgetown, which matters for the 74.1% of the working-age population living in rural areas. Private recruitment is a separate licensed pathway under the Recruitment of Workers Act. A non-Guyanese worker generally needs an Employment Visa or Work Permit pathway. The Immigration Support Services e-service requires passport pages and stamps, a photograph, biodata, a contract or employment letter, police clearance and a medical report. Documents that are not in English require an English translation. The portal issues a reference number after submission, but the supplied information does not state a current fee or processing time. An employer normally handles PAYE, meaning tax withheld from employment pay, and submits the required Form 5 monthly and Form 2 annually to the Guyana Revenue Authority. PAYE remittances are due no later than 14 days after the income-tax month. The employer should provide the worker with a 7B earnings statement. For 2026, the personal allowance is GYD 140,000 per month or GYD 1,680,000 per year. Chargeable income is taxed at 25% up to GYD 3,360,000 per year and at 35% above that level. The allowance for a second job or overtime is capped at GYD 50,000 per month, and the child deduction is GYD 10,000 per month for each child under 18. The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) covers insurable employment compulsorily from age 16 to 60. The total contribution is 14% of actual wages or salary, divided into 5.6% from the worker and 8.4% from the employer. Contributions are calculated up to GYD 280,000 per month or GYD 64,615 per week. An employed person registers with form R400F4 and receives an NIS card; contribution records can be checked online. NIS benefits include old age, invalidity, survivors, funeral, sickness, maternity, injury, disablement and medical care benefits. Benefit access depends on contribution history. Sickness Benefit generally requires 50 total contributions and at least 8 contribution weeks in the preceding 13 weeks; it pays 70% of average insurable earnings for up to 26 weeks, excluding the first 3 days. Maternity Allowance generally requires 15 contributions and at least 7 contribution weeks in the preceding 26 weeks; it pays 70% for the normal 13-week period. Injury Benefit for an employment injury or prescribed disease has no contribution condition, pays 70% and can last up to 26 weeks. Old Age benefit begins at age 60, with a pension requiring at least 150 paid and 750 paid or credited contributions, while a grant requires at least 50 contributions. The Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning lists a national minimum wage of GYD 347 per hour, GYD 2,776 per day, GYD 13,880 per week or GYD 60,147 per month. The listed normal work pattern is 40 hours over no more than 5 days per week, with an 8-hour normal day. Overtime and work on Sunday or a public holiday are listed at 1.5 times the normal rate. Detailed leave, pay and termination rules belong primarily to the labour-law framework, but they affect the worker's employment records and final payments. The Ministry's Occupational Safety and Health Department covers formal and informal workplaces nationwide. A worker has a right to a safe and healthy working environment and a duty to follow safety instructions. When employment ends, the available worker-facing rules state that probation can end without notice. For an indefinite agreement, notice is 2 weeks with less than 1 year of service and 1 month after at least 1 year. Without a collective agreement, severance after at least 1 year is 1 week's pay per year for 1 to 5 years, 2 weeks per year after the fifth year up to 10 years, and 3 weeks per year from the eleventh year onward, subject to a maximum of 52 weeks. A worker should secure the unused-leave payment, payment in lieu of notice where applicable, a termination certificate on request, the NIS contribution record and the GRA 7B earnings statement.