Employment in Mauritania

Job Hunting in Mauritania

The major industry of the country is mining, this business is a dominant feature of the economy and as a result, there are several roles which are perfect for foreigners with relevant experience.

The U.S. embassy in Nouakchott, Mauritania has a helpful jobs portal, which international job seekers can regularly check in order to find work in executive, diplomatic and managerial roles.

The website Kinross provides regularly updated vacancies in all sectors of the mining industry of Mauritania. The company Careers in Africa hold annual career summits in international cities including London, New York and Paris. The Careers in Africa website’s Mauritania section is a good place for expats seeking work to check for available positions.

Taxation in Mauritania

Anyone earning a wage or receiving another source of income in Mauritania under a permanent contract is liable to pay income tax. The majority of registered businesses in the country will employ a ‘pay as you earn’ (PAYE) system. This means that the business will calculate the income and calculate the workers eligible amount of income tax and deduct it from the monthly salary. Income tax is not the only payment which is deducted from the PAYE system; workers can also have their health insurance and social security taken care of with this method. This is the easiest way of arranging tax payments in Mauritania and expats should find out with their new employer whether this method will apply to them. The rates of income tax vary and can range from 6% up to 25%.

Social Security in Mauritania

Mauritania has social security which provides benefit to many members of society, assisting elderly people, disabled residents and survivors. The money does not come from the government; instead the elderly, disabled or surviving applicant will be paid portions of their wage earnings every month by their employer and insurance company if applicable. The old age pension amount in Mauritania is 20% of the usual monthly pay, the maximum amount of monthly wages used to calculate the pension amount is 70,000 MRO. To receive the old age pension, the person must be a man aged 60 and over or a woman aged 55 and over, with a minimum of 20 years tax paying employment.

Permanently disabled residents also receive 20% of their former wages. There are also varying amounts of family allowance, birth grants and maternity grants which can be awarded to parents and families in Mauritania. The Ministry of Civil Service can offer expats advice and further information on all the benefits systems which are in place.