Employment to population ratio hovered around 50 percent in last decade

April 12, 2019: The employment to population ratio declined a bit from 49.8% in 2006-07 to 48.9% in 2017-18 and remained in the proximity of 50% during the rest of the period, according to the report published by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) named “Employment Trends 2018”.

As per the report, the size of the employment ratio for males scaled down from 79.6% in 2006-07 to 77.2% in 2017-18 while the ratio of females employment signified increasing trend during the period 2006-07 to 2014-15 and declined a bit in the year 2017-18.

The unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in 2006-07 to 5.7% in 2011-12. Males and females unemployment rates made the similar pattern, however the latter were higher than formers. The distance between males and females unemployment rates did not seem to be shrinking during the period.

Share of industry in total employment set out at 21.4% in 2006-07, making a rising trend to ends up at higher level (24%) in 2017-18. Share of males went up from 23.5% to 26.0% while share of female increases from 12.6% in 2006-07 to 16.6% in 2017-18.

Meanwhile, the share of agriculture in total employment witnessed a mildly increasing trend from 42.0% in 2006-07 to peak at 43.5% in 2010-11 and ended up at lower level 37.4% in 2017-18. Males share seems higher at the start 35.0% in 2006-07 and ends up lower 29.6% at the end (2017-18) of the time series.

Females share, faring about two times higher than males’ shares, made a rising series from 71.4% in 2006-07 to 74.9% in 2012-13 and follows decline pattern in the rest of the series till 2017-18.

Share of services in total employment made a rising series from 36.6% in 2006-07 to 38.6% in 2017-18. Share of males rises from 41.5% in 2006-07 to 44.4% in 2017-18. The corresponding shares of females scaled down during periods 2006-07 16.0% and 2014-15 13.6% while gained steam in 2017-18 to 17.3%

Share of wage and salaried workers in total employment rose from 38.3% in 2006-07 to 42.9% in 2017-18. The share of male made smooth increasing trend and rose from 41.5% in 2006-07 to 46.8% in 2017-18 while share of female made a mix pattern, high in both ends and lower in the middle.

Share of own-account workers in total employment made a sort of varying series, between 2006-07 36.0% and 2017-18 35.7% while the share of employment in informal sector leveled at the ends from 71.5% in 2006-07 to 71.4% in 2017-18.

(APP)