60 percent of Ugandans get jobs through friends, family connections – survey

Despite most companies advertising jobs in newspapers and online, a survey by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has revealed that about 60 percent of Ugandans get jobs through their friends and relatives.

According to the 2021 National Labour Force Survey (NLFS) conducted by UBOS, 60% of the country’s 23 million working population get jobs through connections by relatives and friends. Only 16% are directly employed through adverts.

Only 2 percent aim to find jobs through intermediary or brokers.

Speaking at the release of the report in Kampala on Wednesday, UBOS Principal Statistician in the population directorate, Micheal Ogen,  also revealed about 67.3 per cent of working Ugandans have oral agreements with employers.

“32.7 per cent operate by written [formal] contracts,” he disclosed in a report.

He said of Uganda’s 43 population, only 20 million are working, majority of whom are employed in agriculture and entrepreneurship. According to the survey, 61.4% of the working population are in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sectors, 13.4% in the industry sector while 24.8% are in the services sector. Only 23% are provided with protective gear.

Despite the soaring cost of living as a result of the escalating inflation, the wages paid after long hours of work have remained low for the majority of the labour force in the country.

According to the survey, more than half of Uganda’s working population earns 200,000 shillings in monthly wages.

The UBOS survey highlighted that an overwhelming 96 per cent of Uganda’s nearly 20 million netizens spend time on social networking platforms.

According to the report, 18% of persons say their NSSF is remitted, 70% have no access to social protection and 77% of employees say their job is satisfactory.