Employment in Botswana: 1.1M Labor Force, Sector Breakdown (2020)

Per World Bank / Botswana Statistics 2020 data:

• Total labor force: ~1.1 million (ages 15–64)
• Employed: ~850,000 (77% participation)
• Unemployed: ~250,000 (23% rate — youth >35%)

Sector Distribution (Employed)

• Services: 45% — wholesale/retail, government, tourism, finance, transport.
• Industry: 30% — mining (diamonds, copper, nickel), manufacturing, construction, utilities.
• Agriculture: 25% — mostly subsistence cattle, sorghum, maize; commercial beef export.

Key Dynamics

• Diamond dependency: Debswana employs ~5,000 directly; 10× indirect.
• Public sector: ~30% of formal employment.
• Informal sector: ~60% of workers (street vendors, smallholder farmers, domestic).
• Skills mismatch: University grads vs. technical trades demand.

Vision 2036 targets: 200k new formal jobs, manufacturing 15% GDP, tourism 10% GDP. Progress: slow.