The survey was conducted with support from the Harmonising and Improving Statistics in West and Central Africa Project, funded by the World Bank, with technical assistance from the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
According to the report, labour force participation increased from 47.1 per cent in 2025 to 54.5 per cent in 2026, while the employment-to-population ratio climbed from 43.2 per cent to 51.1 per cent. At the same time, unemployment declined from 8.3 per cent to 6.2 per cent, with labour underutilisation also falling from 26.7 per cent to 23.6 per cent.
The findings suggest that the growing number of Gambians entering the labour market was largely absorbed into employment, reflecting improved labour market performance.
However, the report warns that the quality of jobs remains a major concern.
Nearly 86 per cent (85.8%) of all employment remains informal, meaning the overwhelming majority of workers continue to operate without formal contracts, social protection or employment benefits. Time-related underemployment also rose from 10.1 per cent to 11.1 per cent, indicating that many employed persons are still working fewer hours than they would prefer.
The survey further shows a decline in wage employment, with employees accounting for 27.4 per cent of total employment compared to 30.9 per cent a year earlier. Meanwhile, the proportion of dependent contractors and contributing family workers increased, highlighting the continued dominance of non-wage and vulnerable forms of employment.
Despite the overall improvement, disparities across population groups remain pronounced.
Women continue to face significant disadvantages in the labour market. Female labour force participation stands at 46.3 per cent, far below the 63.5 per cent recorded among men. Women also experience higher unemployment at 7.5 per cent, compared to 5.2 per cent for men, while 88.7 per cent of employed women work in the informal sector.
Similarly, young people continue to encounter considerable employment challenges. Although the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) fell from 41.3 per cent to 33.7 per cent, labour underutilisation among young people remains considerably higher than the national average.
The report also highlights continuing geographical disparities, with rural communities recording higher levels of informal employment, labour underutilisation and child labour than urban areas.
One of the survey’s most concerning findings relates to child labour.
An estimated 108,087 children aged between five and 17 years, representing 12.9 per cent of children nationwide, are engaged in child labour. Rural areas account for nearly two-thirds of all child labour cases, with prevalence reaching 19.5 per cent, compared to 7.9 per cent in urban communities.
The highest incidence of child labour was recorded in Kuntaur, Mansakonko and Janjanbureh, while agriculture remains the sector employing the majority of child labourers.
The report further estimates that 9 per cent of Gambian children are engaged in hazardous work, with older adolescents particularly exposed to dangerous occupations and excessive working hours.
