Liberia Labour Revenue Tops US$16M; Kruah Warns Firms

Published: September 11, 2026

MONROVIA —Labour Minister Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah reports that the Ministry of Labour generated more than US$16 million in revenue between January and August 2026, while a Ministry review of 1,552 entities shows that 54,682 Liberians are employed across the establishments.

At the Ministry of Information’s press briefing on Thursday, Minister Kruah said a significant portion of the revenue came from issuing work permits, adding that the Ministry is working to increase its collection before the end of the year.

“We are making efforts to increase our revenue collection,” Kruah said, adding that the Ministry hopes to double the current amount before the end of 2026.

The Minister also disclosed that the Ministry’s latest assessment of 1,552 entities shows a continued increase in the number of Liberians employed across the establishments surveyed.

According to Kruah, the entities employed 30,893 Liberians in 2023, rising to 48,849 in 2024. In 2025, the number increased further to 52,891 Liberian employees, while preliminary figures for 2026, covering the period up to July, put the number at 54,682.

Kruah said the figures point to a steady rise in employment among the entities covered by the Ministry’s assessment. He noted, however, that the actual number of Liberians employed across the country could be higher if the assessment included all establishments employing workers.

The Minister said the figures were obtained from real-time information collected and analyzed by Ministry personnel, providing the government with data on employment trends among the entities surveyed.

Meanwhile, Kruah has warned private security companies to comply with Liberia’s minimum wage requirements, particularly in the payment of security guards. He said the Ministry continues to receive reports that some security companies pay guards as little as US$50 per month, despite the minimum wage being US$143 per month.

“We think, we try to encourage them, we want to encourage all of them, but we’re taking a different approach this year,” Kruah said.

He disclosed that the Ministry recently met with the Association of Security Guard Services, where officials emphasized the need for security companies to review the salaries paid to guards and comply with the minimum wage law.

Kruah said the Ministry will follow up on the engagement by sending inspectors to security companies to examine their payroll records. “Our inspectors will go out to demand a copy of your payroll, payroll records, so that we can review it there and see if we are in compliance,” he said.

The Minister also said the Labour Ministry intends to engage the Ministry of Justice, particularly the Public Safety Deputy Minister, because private security companies are licensed through the Justice Ministry.

He explained that the Ministry is concerned that competition among security companies could lead to rates that make it difficult to pay workers the legally required minimum wage.

Kruah said the government could consider requiring security companies to charge a minimum amount for their services, suggesting that about US$200 per guard could help companies meet the US$143 minimum wage requirement.

He stressed, however, that the proposal requires further engagement with the Ministry of Justice. “We want to protect the Liberian workers,” Kruah said, urging private security operators to take the Ministry’s discussions seriously.

The Minister also announced measures to strengthen workplace health and safety following industrial accidents recorded last year. He said the Ministry has established a Health and Safety Division under a provision of the Decent Work Act.

Kruah said the Ministry is preparing to begin training safety officers, with every major establishment expected to have a safety officer trained and certified by the Ministry. “Every major business must have a safety officer to be satisfied by the Ministry of Labor,” he said.

According to Kruah, the initiative is intended to reduce industrial accidents and strengthen worker protection, with training expected to expand across the country.