BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Agriculture and the services sector remain the largest sources of employment for young people in Eswatini, according to findings from the 2025 Integrated Labour Force Survey (ILFS).
The survey reveals that a total of 28 038 young people aged between 15 and 24 years are employed across the country, comprising 16 630 males and 11 408 females.
Among all employed youth, market services emerged as the leading source of jobs, accounting for 35.0 per cent of youth employment. The sector was particularly important for young women, with more than half (50.7 per cent) of employed females working in market services compared to 24.2 per cent of employed males.
Agriculture ranked as the second-largest employer of youth, accounting for 28.2 per cent of all employed young people. However, the sector showed a significant gender imbalance, employing 37.8 per cent of young men compared to only 14.2 per cent of young women.
Manufacturing accounted for 6.4 per cent of youth employment, while construction contributed 8.1 per cent. Mining, quarrying and utilities such as electricity, gas and water supply represented less than one per cent of youth employment, highlighting the limited role these sectors play in absorbing young workers.
The survey also found that non-market services, which include government and community services, accounted for 7.2 per cent of youth employment.
Labour analysts say the findings demonstrate the continued importance of agriculture and services in providing employment opportunities for young people, particularly in the absence of sufficient industrial and manufacturing jobs.
They note that expanding investment in labour-intensive sectors could help create more opportunities for the growing youth population and reduce pressure on the labour market.
Manzini Leads in Youth Employment Absorption
The survey further examined the youth employment-to-population ratio, also known as the absorption rate, which measures the proportion of young people who are employed relative to the total youth population.
Nationally, the youth absorption rate stood at 12.8 per cent, with males recording a significantly higher rate of 15.6 per cent compared to 10.2 per cent among females.
Manzini Region recorded the highest youth employment absorption rate in the country at 17.1 per cent. The region also registered one of the highest rates for young men at 21.4 per cent, reflecting its position as Eswatini’s economic and industrial hub.
Lubombo followed closely with an absorption rate of 16.1 per cent, driven largely by male employment. Young men in Lubombo recorded an absorption rate of 21.4 per cent compared to 10.6 per cent among females.
Shiselweni recorded a youth employment absorption rate of 10.5 per cent, while Hhohho had the lowest rate at 7.8 per cent.
The data suggests that employment opportunities for young people remain unevenly distributed across the country’s regions, with Manzini and Lubombo offering relatively better prospects than Hhohho and Shiselweni.
As government continues to prioritise youth empowerment and job creation, the findings provide valuable insight into the sectors and regions driving youth employment and the challenges that remain in expanding opportunities for young emaSwati entering the labour market.
