Jobs drought deepens as household spending heads for contraction

Unemployment is expected to remain stubbornly high over the next two years as weak economic growth, diamond-sector volatility and rising living costs continue to squeeze households.

According to Business Monitor International (BMI),unemployment rate in Botswana is forecast to average 24.4% in 2026 and remain at 24.4% in 2027. The projection is only marginally below the estimated 24.5% recorded in 2025 but remains substantially above Botswana’s pre-pandemic average of 21.6% between 2015 and 2019, BMI says in its Botswana 2026 Consumer Outlook. 

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