Employment in Ethiopia

Economic Overview

Ethiopia’s economy has been one of the fastest growing in the world over the last ten years. Several sectors are enjoying a boom period including the export of agricultural products. Almost 45% of the GDP is agricultural goods and the sector contributes 80% of exports and employs 80% of the labor force.

Top crops are coffee, maize, pulses, cereals, sugarcane, and vegetables such as chickpeas. It is Africa’s busiest producer of coffee and the second biggest maize producer. Gold, oilseeds, leather, and khat are some of the other main exports, and there has been a boom in the floriculture sector recently.  The IMF puts the GDP per capita at 570 USD as of 2014.

Job Hunting in Ethiopia

National newspapers where you could search for your perfect job include The Ethiopian Herald, Ethiopian News, New Business Ethiopia, NTA Newstime, and Sub-Saharan Informer. All these are available in English. There are also many websites where you can search for job opportunities in Ethiopia. Employ Ethiopia is a good starting point, as well as Ezega.

UN Jobs is your stop if you want to work for the United Nations in Africa and Career Jet has an option to search for job openings in Ethiopia. Teaching English as a foreign language is a top option for expats settling in Ethiopia. There are various sights were you can look for ESL jobs in Ethiopia, such as Total ESL, ESL Employment, TESall, and ESL Cafe.

Taxation in Ethiopia

Under law, any person who counts as a fiscal resident in Ethiopia (i.e. lives in Ethiopia for 184 or more days a year) has to pay tax on their income. This applies to money earned both within the country and abroad. Income tax is also payable on income derived from the rent of a house, and other forms such as the rent of patent and copyright, company shares, and lottery wins.

Rates of tax on employment are variable according to the individual’s salary, with the first 150 ETB free of tax in 2014. The responsible agency is the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority (ERCA).