economy 20 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Resignations Emerge as Top Cause of Job Vacancies in Uganda's Struggling Labour Market
New UBOS data shows resignations driving most job vacancies amid high underutilization, with over half the working-age population unemployed or unproductive. Poor conditions push workers out, highlighting a crisis in job quality across formal and informal sectors. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/resignations-lead-in-creating-job-vacancies-5430288
Uganda’s labour market is in turmoil, with the latest UBOS Labour Market Survey 2025 revealing resignations as the primary source of job openings. In the formal sector, 55,684 vacancies stemmed from workers quitting, dwarfing retirements at just 1,892.
Other factors included expansion (46,562), miscellaneous causes (28,056), restructuring (13,277), and terminations (9,769). The informal sector saw even more gaps, with 305,364 vacancies mostly from growth and exits.
Out of 26.4 million working-age Ugandans, only 13.4 million hold jobs, and just 44% are productively engaged. Unemployment hovers at 12.2%, but the deeper issue is substandard employment plagued by poor conditions.
Women face 13.9% unemployment versus 10.8% for men, while youth rates hit 18%, worse for females at 21%. Urban areas report 12.8%, slightly above rural 11.8%.
Bukedi leads with 23.7% unemployment, followed by Teso (19.7%) and others above the national average. State Minister Amos Lugoloobi flagged low agriculture employment in informal stats and pushed for industrial growth to reach middle-income status by 2040.
Gender Ministry PS Aggrey Kibenge blamed indecent workplaces and lax inspections for high turnover, urging better enforcement.
Lugoloobi also called for future surveys to track productivity, noting current low levels.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)