The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) is set to launch a groundbreaking High-Frequency Labour and Employment Indicator Survey (HFLIS) to provide real-time insights into the nation’s labour market. This initiative aims to guide national employment policy, track progress on development targets, and bridge gaps between labour supply and demand in Uganda’s fast-evolving economy.
Labour market data is essential for planning and implementing effective policies under Uganda’s National Development Plan III (NDP III), Vision 2040, and international frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Africa Agenda 2063, and the EAC Vision 2050. Recognising the centrality of employment in driving inclusive growth, UBOS is prioritising regular, detailed, and accurate labour statistics.
Uganda currently faces a 12% unemployment rate and labour underutilisation of 44%, according to the 2021 National Labour Force Survey. Despite previous efforts — including three national surveys and establishment censuses — UBOS acknowledges the growing demand for up-to-date labour market data.
The new quarterly HFLIS will address this gap. It will feature two key components:
A household-based survey to capture employment status, skills, and demographic data.
An establishment survey to assess job vacancies, skill shortages, wages, and job creation or destruction across sectors.
According to UBOS, the survey will support:
Monitoring labour trends more frequently;
Diagnosing skill mismatches and guiding education and training programs;
Improving job creation strategies;
Enhancing evidence-based policymaking.
“This high-frequency labour survey is a strategic move that aligns with Uganda’s vision for inclusive economic transformation. It will empower policymakers and businesses to respond quickly to emerging employment challenges,” said [Insert UBOS Spokesperson or Executive Director name].
The survey will employ a rotating panel design, covering 1,600 Enumeration Areas annually (800 each quarter), with each area surveyed twice a year. This design boosts accuracy while keeping costs and respondent fatigue low. The survey will also rotate modules every few years to include time use, child labour, forced labour, and labour migration analysis.
Data will be collected using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) and other modern tools, ensuring high-quality, timely data.
The HFLIS is expected to strengthen UBOS’s role as Uganda’s primary data source and significantly improve the country’s capacity to track employment, inform economic planning, and achieve national development goals.
UBOS calls on all stakeholders — government agencies, the private sector, civil society, and development partners — to support this landmark initiative.