Economic Overview, Bay of Bengal Natural Gas & Mineral Wealth
Myanmar possesses strategic offshore natural gas reserves, major gemstone and mineral extraction, and rich agricultural river basins.
Key Economic Sectors
- Offshore Natural Gas & Energy: Yadana, Yetagun, and Shwe deepwater gas fields and overland cross-border pipelines.
- Critical Minerals & Gemstones: World's premier jade and ruby deposits, and heavy rare earth mining.
- Apparel & Light Manufacturing: Cut-make-pack (CMP) garment export manufacturing in Yangon industrial zones.
Employment Contracts, Standard Template & Township Labour Office Filing
Regulated by the Employment and Skills Development Law 2013 and Leave and Holidays Act.
- Mandatory Standard Contract: Employers must use the official government template employment contract in Burmese (or bilingual) and submit it for registration to the local **Township Labour Office within 30 days**.
- Probation Period: Maximum statutory probation is 3 months (paid at not less than 75% of basic salary).
Working Hours, Multi-Tier Leave System & SSB Insurance
Comprehensive Leave Entitlements
- Earned Annual Leave: Minimum 10 working days per year (after 12 continuous months of service).
- Casual Leave: 6 paid days per year for emergency personal matters.
- Medical / Sick Leave: 30 paid days per year (for employees with >= 6 months service).
- Public Holidays: ~25 to 28 official national and religious public holidays (including Thingyan Water Festival).
- Maternity Leave: 14 weeks (98 calendar days) (6 weeks prenatal + 8 weeks postnatal) paid at 70% via SSB social insurance (+ optional 4 weeks for twins).
Social Security Board (SSB 3% Employer) & IRD Tax
| Statutory Scheme | Employer Share | Employee Share | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Security Board (SSB) | 3.00% | 2.00% | Health, maternity, injury & disability (capped at MMK 300k wage base) |
Personal Income Tax: Progressive rates from 0% up to 25% on taxable annual earnings, remitted monthly to IRD.
Termination, Notice & Statutory Severance Scales
- Notice Periods: Minimum 1 month written notice.
- Statutory Severance Pay (Notification 84/2015): 0.5 months (6–12 mo service), 1 month (1–2 yrs), 1.5 months (2–3 yrs), 3 months (3–4 yrs), up to 13 months' salary (for 20+ yrs service).
Why Use an Employer of Record (EOR) in Myanmar
- Rapid Project Deployment: Onboard project managers and technical specialists in Yangon in days.
- Township Labour Office & SSB Compliance: Full registration of standard contracts and management of social security remittances.
Hiring in Myanmar? Key Resources
Whether you are evaluating entity setup vs. using an Employer of Record, or looking for the best international payroll solution, our guides give you transparent benchmarks:
