Mauritius is considered to have a well-educated workforce that is versatile and easily trainable. In 2017 the labour force in Mauritius was estimated at 586,900 which was made up of 356,600 males and 230,300 females. The employment rate was recorded at 545,100, comprising of 339,400 males and 205,700 females.
It was estimated that the number of people unemployed for 2017 was 41,800 of which 17,200 were men and 24,600 were women, translating to an average unemployment rate of 7.1%, with male unemployment significantly lower at 4.8%, but female unemployment higher at 10.7%, although the statistics also indicated that female employment was increasing faster than male employment, despite men being more economically active than women. Overall the Mauritian labour force increased by 5,900 in 2017.
Mauritius is thought to have a large pool of well-educated young people who are considered to be versatile and easily trainable. Various reforms have been made to the education system in order to prepare for the new challenges arising from sectors such as ICT, the financial services, and biotechnology among others.
Statistics indicate that in 2017, youth employment decreased by 1,800 and youth unemployment increased by 400, translating to a 1% increase on the previous year, make the youth unemployment rate almost 25% in 2017. This rate is much higher than the overall average unemployment rate of 7.1%. Positive trends over the last 10 years however indicate that although men are more economically active than women, the gap is decreasing over time, and the overall unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since 2007, when it was 8.5%.
There are several laws that govern employment and labour in Mauritius, including: The Employment Rights Act 2008; The Employment Relations Act 2008; The Labour Act 1975; The Non-Citizens (Employment restriction) Act 1970; and the End of Year Gratuity Act 2001.
The constitution of Mauritius is also meant to guarantee certain rights and freedoms. It is entrenched in the constitution that there should not be discrimination by reason of race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, creed or sex, therefore employers are prohibited from discriminating between employees on these grounds.
The employment of expatriates in Mauritius is governed by the Non-Citizens (Employment Restriction) Act 1973. Non-citizens cannot be engaged in any occupation in Mauritius if they do not hold a valid work permit.
Subject to the Non-Citizens (Employment Restriction) Act 1973, there are no legal restrictions on the employment of foreigners in any specific field, but the issuance of a work permit will depend on the underlying skills not being available locally at the time. A foreigner designated to represent the interest of a foreign investor in Mauritius is also required to obtain a work permit.