The unemployment rate in Rwanda increased from 13.1 % in February to 22.1 % in May, according to a national survey released.

The unemployed population rose to 905,198 in May from 536,714 in February, said the survey of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, adding that 25 % of women and 19.6 % of men were unemployed in May.

The survey also showed that the unemployment rate among young people aged 16-30 years old was at 27.2 percent, higher than 17.7 % among adults aged more than 30 years old.

The unemployment rate was also higher in rural areas with 22.3 %, compared with 21 percent in urban areas, it said.

According to the survey, employment in the industry sector increased by 5.3 % while services and market-oriented agriculture sectors decreased by 14.2 % and 12.9 % respectively in May, compared to February.

The survey is based on interviews with 3,401 households, it added.

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