Unemployment looms as Government, Labor exporters call off recruitments

The government will not engage in any job recruitments or training of already existing staff in this fiscal year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, the ministry of finance has said.

According to the ministry of finance, Ministry Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will not need any recruitments for the time being since it is most likely not going to cause any shortfalls in deliveries.

Already, government agencies and ministries are operating at a lower percentage capacity than they always do.

In a circular from the ministry of public service, government agencies and ministries were directed to only utilize essential staff, to a limit of 30 members on a shift basis, while the rest would be assisted to operate from home.

The ministry of finance has therefore not budgeted for any recruitment finances that may be incurred by any ministry or government agency should they go ahead with recruitment drives.

“The MDAs can in the short run operate with existing staff without causing a halt on service delivery. Recruitment can in the short run wait,” Keith Muhakanizi, the secretary to the treasury said.

In the same faith, the government does not expect to incur any expenses on training workers and has removed that budget in this fiscal year.

“The MDAs can in the short run continue working with their staff at their current levels of training which will not cause deviations in the performance of the MDAs,” Muhakanizi insists.

The government has a total of 470,000 public service jobs, minus extension workers.

The government has been targeting at least 7,500 extension workers in the last four years to help support production sectors of; Agriculture, health, fisheries, or other community development work.

However, by the time of Muhakanizi’s statement, only 6000 had been recruited with a least 1,500 expected to be recruited in this financial year.

The numbers leave the rest of the unemployed Ugandans between the informal sector and jobs abroad.

Already, over 150,000 workers have failed to travel abroad for work due to the closure of borders over the COVID-19 pandemic. The said number is supplemented by over 5000 workers that were deported from Middle East countries following the pandemic.

Another 960 Ugandans were returned from Cairo and Dubai while they exited for work.

According to the Association of External Labor Recruitment Agencies, at least 30,000 Ugandans have been leaving the country for jobs abroad. This has since stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.