By: Abrar Hamza
KARACHI: The female labour force participation rate in Pakistan has slightly decreased by 0.5 percent to 14.3 percent while unemployment rate reached 6.3 percent by the end of March 2013, said Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Total labour force participation rate in the country has risen by 0.1 percent to 32 percent in the first quarter of 2013 as compared to 32.1 percent in the corresponding period of 2011, according to first quarter 2013 (January –March) report of Labour Force Survey (LFS) released by PBS.
However, cumulative male labour force participation rate witnessed an improvement as it has reached to 49.1 percent in LFS 2013 while it was 48.6 percent in LFS 2010-11.
Total urban labour force participation rate increased to 29.6 percent in LFS 2013 from 28.8 percent in LFS 2010-11. Male labour force participation rate also improved during the said period to 50.6 percent from 49.3 percent in 2010-11 while female urban labour force participation rate reduced to 7.3 percent from 7.1 percent.
Total rural male labour force participation rate decreased to 33.3 percent from 33.7 percent in 2011 while female rural participation rate also reduced to 17.8 percent from 18.5 percent, male participation rate remain stable as it was slightly up to 48.3 percent from 48.2 percent.
Employment status in the country has reached 38.9 percent, own account workers reached to 34.0 percent, contributing family workers stood at 25.6 percent and employers crossed to 1.5 percent.
More females engaged as contributing family workers are around 61 percent, while more males are own account workers, employees and employers comparatively. Employees 35.6 percent and employers 1.4 percent from gain steam while own account workers reached to 35.6 percent from 34 percent and contributing family workers to 27.4 percent from 25.6 percent.
Employment by major industry divisions finds agriculture and allied activities stood at 44.2 percent, construction at 7.6 percent and wholesale and retail trade contribution reached to 16.7 percent trending down while, manufacturing sector contribution stood at 13.6 percent from 14.7 percent and other community or social and personal service activities decreased to 10.8 percent from 13.8 percent. Unemployment rate increased to 6.3 percent from 6.1 percent during the comparative periods. Positive change was observed in rural areas as unemployment rate there swelled to 5.1 percent from 4.8 percent and for males it increased to 5.5 percent from 5.1 percent. Negative change is accrued in urban areas where unemployment rate decreased to 8.8 percent from 9.1 percent and, for females it has also reduced to 9.2 percent from 9.4 percent during the said period.
Literacy rate in Pakistan has reached to 59.9 percent in March 2013 as compared to 58.4 percent in March 2011. For males it reached to 70.7 percent from 69.7 percent while for females it stood at 48.6 percent, increased by 2.0 percent from 46.4 percent in 2011.
Total urban literacy rate in country has reached at the level of 75.9 percent while male literacy rate reached 81.6 percent and female literacy rate stood at 69.7 percent, as per LFS 1Q 2012-13.
Rural literacy rate cumulatively crossed the level of 51.0 percent, rural male literacy rate stands at 64.6 percent and only 37.4 percent rural females are literate at the end of March 2013.
