By the second quarter of 2018, Sri Lanka’s estimated economically active population was about 8.3 million in the second quarter 2018. Of which 65.9 percent were males and 34.1 percent females, the quarterly Report of Sri Lanka Labour Force Survey conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics released recently stated.
As per the report, the economically inactive population is about 8 million. Out of the economically inactive population 26.1 percent are males and 73.9 percent are females.
Furthermore, during the second quarter of 2018, the total number of employed persons in Sri Lanka is estimated at about 8 million. Of which, about 48.3 percent engaged in the service sector, 27.5 percent in industries sector and 24.2 percent in the agriculture sector. In 2018 Q2, a decline in employment numbers can be observed in the agriculture and industry sectors while the service sector employment shows an increase.
The majority of the workforce are private sector employees followed by own account workers. Highest employment share is in service sector and this is true for both male and female, while the lowest shares are for agriculture sector. Among employed females 26.7 percent is in agriculture sector while this share is 22.9 percent for males, the report highlighted.
The number of unemployed persons is also estimated as 381,834 during the second quarter 2018. The unemployment rate for the second quarter 2018 is 4.6 percent. Overall unemployment rate reported for female is 7.4 percent and it is 3.1 percent for male. Youth unemployment rate (age 15 –24 years) corresponding to the second quarter 2018 is 22.5 percent and that is the highest reported unemployment rate among all age groups. Further rates for males and females are 17.6 and 32.3 per-cent respectively for age group 15-24.
The survey results further reveals that the unemployment among females is higher than that of males, in all age groups. Youth and female unemployment contribute more to the overall unemployment of the country.
