Chronicle Editor
Senior Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) has released the 2022 first quarter Labour Force Survey findings, which indicate that over three million people are employed in various sectors of the economy.
According to the report, 3 274 645 people were employed in the period under review with the national employment-population ratio pegged at 35,3 percent.
Of the total employed, males dominated the labour force with 1 908 732 employed while 1 365 912 women were employed.
The primary objective of the survey was to provide information on the number of people classified according to their activity status.
It also indicated people employed in the informal sector and informal employment and tracked labour migration.
The survey, which had a national response of 93 percent also monitored labour market indicators necessary to monitor the implementation of Zimbabwe’s macro-economic policies such as the National Development Strategy 1 and other related strategies.
The survey also provides information on key labour market indicators for Zimbabwe that are comparable with Sadc and other African countries in line with international standards.
In terms of the survey methodology, the report had a two-stage sample design that was used for sample selection for the survey.
The first stage was the selection of enumeration areas using the probability proportional size criteria.
The next stage involved the selection of households in the selected enumeration areas using random systematic sampling technique.
A total of 500 enumeration areas and 12 500 households were selected for the survey.
In the quarter under review, the agency found out that Harare had the highest employment population ratio of around 50,2 percent followed by Bulawayo at 46,1 percent, a slight drop of 0,7 percent from the 2021 fourth quarter.
The least employment population ratio was in Matabeleland North at 19,6 percent down from the 22,2 period in the prior quarter.
On the proportion of employed persons by sector of employment, the bulk of people are in the informal sector with 44,7 percent of which 46,4 percent are females and 43,5 are males.
The formal sector had an overall percentage of 27,9 with males contributing 29,9 percent and 25,1 percent females.
The agriculture sector attracted 23,5 percent with males dominating at 24,7 percent while 21,8 percent is the female population.
In the quarter under review, total labour migrants were at 27 229 with males accounting for 16 513 with females 10 768.
According to the report, 2,2 percent of the employed population reported work-related illness or injuries with Harare accounting for 30,6 percent and Matabeleland North having the least at 1,7 percent.
The informal sector employed about 44,7 percent of people with wholesale trade, retail trade, sale and repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles absorbing 49,2 percent, followed by mining and quarrying (12 percent) and 11,5 percent in manufacturing.
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