Labour force participation rate
In November 2024 (Q4), the working age population (16 years and above) was around 8.4 million of whom around 4.6 million were employed, 789 thousand were unemployed, and 3 million were out of labour force.
The labour force comprises 5.4 million people, which includes both the employed and unemployed
population. The proportion of working age population who were in the labour force has consistently increased since 2022. In November 2024, it was estimated to be 64.0 % which is 4 percentage points higher than the estimated value in November 2023 (60.0%). The rate of the population outside labour force decreased from 40% in November 2023(Q4) to 36% in November 2024(Q4).
In general, the labour force participation rate among the male has been higher compared to the female population over time. Referring to November 2023(Q4), the gender gap in labour force participation rate remained stable (14.8%) in November 2024 (Q4).
Employment
The employment-to-population ratio (EPR) increased from 49.9% in November 2023(Q4) to 54.6% in November 2024(Q4). EPR increased proportionately for males (5.1%) and females (4.4%). In quarter four of 2024, males had a higher EPR of 63.1% compared to females who held 47.1%.
Moreover, the employment-to-population ratio was higher among adults aged 31 and above (58.4%) than among youth from 16 to 30 years old (49.9%). The gender gap in the employment-to-population ratio was 16% in November 2024 (Q4) compared to 15.3% in 2023 (Q4).
Distribution of the employed population by branches of economic activities
The distribution of the employed population by aggregated broad branches of economic activities in the Labour Force Survey of November 2024 (Q4) revealed that the majority of the population in employment was employed in the service sector. The level of employment in the agricultural sector decreased to 41.1% in November 2024 (Q4) compared to the same quarter of 2023 (46.2%).
However, the share of employment in the industry sector increased from 14.3% recorded in November 2023 (Q4) to 16.3% in November 2024 (Q4), while the percentage of employed population in the service sector increased from 39.4% in November 2023 (Q4) to 42.6% in November 2024.
In November 2024, it was estimated to be 64.0 % which is 4 percentage points higher than the estimated value in November 2023 (60.0%). The rate of the population outside labour force decreased from 40% in November 2023(Q4) to 36% in November 2024(Q4).
In general, the labour force participation rate among the male has been higher compared to the female population over time. Referring to November 2023(Q4), the gender gap in labour force participation rate remained stable (14,8%) in November 2024 (Q4).
Unemployment
In November 2024 (Q4), the unemployment rate stood at 14.7%, indicating that among seven persons in the labour force, almost one person was unemployed. This reflects a decrease of 2.1% compared to the same quarter of 2023, and it was slightly lower compared to the pre-COVID-19 estimate in the same quarter in November 2019 (15.4%).
The unemployment rate was higher among females (17.5%) compared to males (12.2%). Youth also experienced a higher unemployment rate (18%) compared to adults (12.3%). The unemployment rate was more prevalent in rural areas (15.2 %) than in urban areas (13.6 %)
The gender gap in the unemployment rate was 5.3% in November 2024 (Q4), and it slightly declined by 0.9% compared to the same quarter of 2023.
Labour underutilization
The unemployment rate is not the only component of the unmet needs for employment. They are other components including time-related underemployment and potential labour force.
The labour underutilization rate stood at 55.0 % in November 2024(Q4). It was higher among females (62.0 %) than males (47.8 %) and higher among youth (56.6 %) than adults (53.8 %).