More than half of Uganda’s working population makes Shs200,000 per month, according to UBOS.
More than half of Uganda’s working population earns Shs200,000 in monthly wages, according to the 2021 National Labour Force Survey.
More than half of Uganda’s working population earns Shs200,000 in monthly wages, according to the 2021 National Labour Force Survey.
Vincent Fred Ssenono, Director of Population and Social Statistics of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), delivered the report on November 16, 2022, at the Serena Hotel in Kampala.
All people of working age who, during the week before the interview date, were involved in any activity to create things or provide services for use by others in exchange for payment or profit were considered to be part of the population in employment, according to his definition.
Michael Sijje Ogen, a Principal Statistician at UBOS, revealed the survey’s findings by stating that the median monthly cash salary for those with paid work as their primary job is Shs200,000.
“In-kind and cash average monthly earnings were UGX 250,000,” he stated.
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as “the middle” value.
According to Ogen, the wages paid after long hours of work have remained low for the majority of working Ugandans.
According to the findings, both men and women spend an average of 7 daily actual hours on their main job.
Education mismatch
A little over 45% of people who are employed have the degree required for the position, 11% are overqualified, 43% are undereducated, and 1% are unspecified.
70% of workers do not have access to any type of social protection, whereas just 18% of employees claim that their employers pay into the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Job Satisfaction status
Approximately 77% of respondents said they were satisfied with their jobs, 12% said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 11% said they were not.
40% of people engaged in subsistence farming, 21% in caregiving, and 39% in other subsistence occupations work unpaid.
Other findings
While the national ratio is 43%, the employment to population ratio for men is 52% and for women it is 34%. 88% of all employment is unofficial (agricultural work excluded).
With youth unemployment at 17%, the unemployment rate is now 12%, up from 9% in 2019–20.
Of Uganda’s working-age population, 12 million people (about 50%) were not employed.
While 21% of people of working age were engaged in unpaid care work and 41% of youth (18–30 years) were not, 24% of youth (18–30 years) had transitioned to employment.
Reactions
The statistical indicators are comprehensive, according to Godfrey Nabongo, Deputy Executive Director of UBOS, to improve the usability and understanding of statistics. We will keep looking for holes to provide the necessary indicators. We’ll spread the word about these findings in the region, he said.
He emphasized the difficulty that women face while entering the workforce because they are not properly provided for.
The report’s launch speaker, Hon. Dominick Gidudu Mafabi, stated that Uganda has one of the largest employable populations in the world, which is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Dominick Gidudu Mafabi, a judge
“With a labor force producing below peak levels, we cannot manage this population dividend through necessary public investments,” he said.
Nicolas Gonze, Head of Governance for the EU, spoke at the event and expressed the EU’s support.
As “a vital document providing statistics for employment policy, job creation, and socio-economic growth,” he characterized the study.
Aggrey The audience was instructed by David Kibenge, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, to absorb the data from the report and create a gender-development policy.
He stated that there is a committee supporting breastfeeding policies at work in order to address gender discrimination issues.
Nicolas Gonze, a representative of the EU, speaking
The underutilization of the labor force and the workforce’s lack of digital readiness were highlighted by Douglas Opio, Executive Director of the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE).
He emphasized the proper implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 8 (concerning “decent employment and economic growth”) and argued for the proper application of “leave policy” to employees, particularly parental leave.
In order to improve company continuity, low wages should be addressed when we begin this National Labor Survey.
There are numerous government programs intended to implement and foster economic growth, primarily through agriculture, according to Wandera Martin, Director for Labour, Employment and Occupational Safety and Health.
He praised the Parish Development Model program, emphasized the value of labor inspection, and downplayed child labor as a practice.