Luanda:Angola's labor market posted modest gains in the third quarter of 2026, with total employment rising 2.8% and overall unemployment dipping slightly, according to government data released Friday.
According to Angola Press News Agency, figures from the Angola Employment Survey (IEA), published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), estimate that 10,452,752 people aged 15 and older were employed during Q3, up from 10,171,244 in the second quarter. The national employment rate edged up to 45.1%, compared to 44.2% in the previous period.
Men accounted for roughly 5.34 million employed workers, reflecting an employment rate of 47.6%, while women accounted for 5.11 million with an employment rate of 42.7%. Conversely, women faced a higher unemployment rate at 22.4%, compared to 19.5% for men.
Job opportunities remained heavily concentrated in cities, where the employment rate reached 48.4%, outpacing the 37.8% rate recorded in rural areas. Workers aged 35 to 44 represented the largest share of the employed workforce. Meanwhile, the 45-to-54 age bracket recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 11.3%.
Despite the broader quarterly gains, joblessness among young Angolans remains a persistent challenge. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 to 24 stood at 39.3%—the highest of any demographic—with an employment rate of just 23.5%.
Overall, the unemployed population aged 15 and older declined by 0.8% in the third quarter to 2,767,459 people, comprising 1.29 million men and 1.47 million women, bringing the national unemployment rate to 20.9%, down from 2,790,821 unemployed citizens in the prior quarter.
