Service industry records employment growth

SOME sectors of the economy have recorded growth, which in turn has seen an increase in employment figures, the Zimbabwe National Statistics agency (Zimstat) has said.

Speaking at an information dissemination workshop for the 2014 Labour Force and Child Labour survey results, Zimstat director general Mutasa Dzinotizei said employment in the distribution, restaurants and hotels and the transport and communications sectors had significantly improved in 2014.

“Some sectors showed gains in employment during the same period.

“These are distribution, restaurants and hotels which increased from 74,900 employees to 82,000 employees and transport and communications increased from around 31,200 to 35,500 employees,” he said.

“However, there has been a general decline in the number of people employed in the manufacturing sector from 118,600 employees to 93,100 in 2014 and the mining sector from 43,000 employees to 38,400.

According to the survey, a total of 6.3 million Zimbabweans above the age of 15 are gainfully employed with approximately 859,060 employed in the informal sector. About 779,443 people are currently unemployed, representing 11.3 percent of the country’s population.

Dzinotizei said although some economists have claimed that the unemployment rates are above 90 percent, they had overlooked the people who contribute to the economy through informal channels.

“The need to provide and analyse data on employment, unemployment, underemployment and informal employment can’t be over emphasised given the conflicting figures and statements on these variables circulating in the media fraternity and other platforms in the country,” he said.

The survey regarded persons who stated that they are a paid employee, employer, own account worker and unpaid family worker were regarded as employed and economically active.

The survey states that the highest proportion of the employed population are in agricultural occupations at 61 percent.

Most people employed in the informal sector are own account workers with at least 52.5 percent of them being women.

The survey also states that 11 percent of the 6.3 million people that are employed are also engaged in other income generating activities and 62 percent were in the agriculture sector. — BH24.