Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili -nqobile.tshili@chronicle .co.zw
Bulawayo has the country’s highest labour force participation rate at 65 percent while agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors have the highest proportions of employed citizens nationally.
This was revealed in the 2023 First Quarter Labour Force Survey, released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) yesterday.
The survey showed that 44 percent of the working population is employed.
Zimbabwe yesterday joined the rest of the world in commemorating Workers’ Day with unions calling on employers to improve salaries.
In a statement, ZimStat said the survey shows men dominate the workforce.
“Labour force participation rate is higher for males (54,6 percent) compared to females (34,7 percent). Labour force participation rate measures the proportion of persons in the working age population who are in the labour force. At provincial level, Bulawayo had the highest labour force participation rate of 65,1 percent,” read the statement.
Harare has the second proportion of employed citizens at 60 percent, Mashonaland West coming third at 50 percent followed by Mashonaland East at 45 percent and Mashonaland Central at 41 percent.
At least 36 percent of the working population in Midlands are employed just the same as Manicaland and Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South employment rate is at 34 percent.
Masvingo has the lowest employment rate at 28 percent as the national employment rate is 44 percent.
ZimStat said urban dwellers are more likely to be employed than their rural counterparts.
“Employment absorption rate is higher for working age population in urban areas (48,8 percent) than in rural areas (27,5 percent). Therefore, chances of getting employment for persons in urban areas is higher than in rural areas. Employment to population ratio, which is the proportion of working age population in employment, was 39,3 percent for females in urban areas and 19,7 percent for females in rural areas,” it said.
ZimStat said the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry have the highest proportion of employed citizens followed by wholesale and retail trade, sale and repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles industry (23,9 percent).
It said other sectors accounted for 48,8 of total employment.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (Zuj) said there is a need to improve the welfare of members of the Fourth Estate as most of them are poorly remunerated.
“The wages and salaries that journalists receive are dehumanising, demeaning and pathetic to say the least. Journalists are arbitrarily dismissed from employment without any benefits and are not guaranteed of any pension which is a serious threat to their future,” said ZUJ in a statement on Twitter.
“The situation is compounded by the poor working conditions our members are exposed to across the media spectrum. They work long hours, are now multi-skilled and are demanded to contribute to various platforms from broadcasting, print and digital for the same wage.”
The union called on employers to provide a living wage to workers.
In the mining sector, workers decried low wages and unsafe occupation hazards resulting in deaths.
The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMU) secretary general Justice Chinhema said it was worrying that a miner dies almost every week at work.
“In Zimbabwe, nearly one miner dies every week, this is quite a disturbing trend. This is regrettable, as it is expected that every mine should have the appropriate measures and expertise to enhance health and safety. I can also report that in 2020 a total of 182 mine workers were reported as having died from 116 mining accidents, in 2021, the country recorded a decrease in both accidents and fatalities as compared to the previous year with 121 accidents and 139 fatalities,” said Mr Chinhema.
He said as of September 30, 2022, the country had recorded 125 accidents and 139 fatalities.
“This is regrettable, as it is expected that every mine should have the appropriate measures and expertise to enhance health and safety. It must be emphasised that fall of ground accidents remain the largest accident category and the predominant cause of fatalities, followed by transportation and machinery accidents,” he said.
A health sector lobby organisation, Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) said Government needs to tackle working conditions in the health sector.
CWGH executive director Mr Itai Rusike said as a result of low remuneration, health sector workers are now taking up jobs in countries not frequented by Zimbabweans.
“One of the major challenges facing Zimbabwean’s public healthcare system is brain drain. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists have left and continue to leave the country to destinations like South Africa, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia to name just a few. In fact, Zimbabwean health professionals are found in nearly all countries, including non-traditional destinations such as Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Spain,” said Mr Rusike. — @nqotshili
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