Uganda: The Future of Work for Youth

The document outlines strategic priorities to combat youth unemployment in Uganda, emphasizing the need for anti-corruption measures, investment in agribusiness infrastructure, and the alignment of education curricula with 21st-century labour market demands.

• Youth unemployment in Uganda is higher than the national average, with a specific trend where educated youth are more likely to be unemployed due to a preference for scarce formal sector wage-paying jobs.
• Marital status significantly impacts employment; divorced youth face the highest unemployment rates (32.37%), followed by married youth (16.13%) and single youth (7.99%).
• Uganda is ranked 142 out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perception Index, with a score of 26, indicating it is a 'most likely corrupt' country across sectors including the judiciary and public procurement.
• Agriculture is the primary employer and economic backbone of Uganda, but requires modernisation through investments in roads, storage, and mechanisation to reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmer incomes.
• The current education system requires reform to align with labour market needs, specifically by increasing vocational and technical training in IT, manufacturing, construction, and agriculture.
• Approximately 165,000 Ugandans work in the Middle East, where many young women experience physical and sexual abuse from employers.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2024). Uganda: The Future of Work for Youth. https://saiia.org.za/research/uganda-the-future-of-work-for-youth/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Uganda: The Future of Work for Youth. 2024. https://saiia.org.za/research/uganda-the-future-of-work-for-youth/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Uganda: The Future of Work for Youth |date=14 February 2024 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/uganda-the-future-of-work-for-youth/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2024uganda, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Uganda: The Future of Work for Youth}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/uganda-the-future-of-work-for-youth/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }