The Statistics Department in the Ministry of Economic Development, Planning, Tourism, ICT, Creative Economy, Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries & Cooperatives has released the results of a labour force survey that was undertaken for the quarter ended 30 June 2023.
The results reveal that the unemployment rate was 12%, which represents a decline from 16.6% as recorded for the quarter ended June 2021, and 28.4% recorded in June of 2020.
The decline in the rate of unemployment, as at the end of June 2023, was influenced by a reduction in the rate of unemployment among youths and women. The unemployment rate among youths fell from 38.6% for the quarter ended June 2021 to 36.2% for the quarter ended June 2023. The rate of unemployment declined for both young males and females with the higher reduction for young females. Consequently, the unemployment rate for females contracted from 19.5% to 14.6% over that period.
The data from the survey represents comprehensive information on the labour market. It includes data on the rate of unemployment, the age and sex of the unemployed, the level of education of the unemployed, the structure of unemployment by categories of occupation, and the proportion of the labour force that is actively seeking employment.
The unemployment rate is determined by the number of people unemployed, divided by the labour force. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines the unemployed as a person who is 15 years and over, available to work within 2 weeks and actively sought employment at some time during the last 4 weeks or has already found a job that starts within the next 3 months.
The labour force survey also provided disaggregated data by sex on, among others, unemployment by categories of worker and the educational status of the unemployed.
Further details on the results of the labour force survey could be sourced from the Census and Surveys Unit within the Statistics Department.
Ministry of Economic Development
