Unemployment in the country reduced by 1.1 per cent in the first three months of this year, data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday showed.

According to the statistical bulletin on formal employment and earnings for the first quarter of 2018, the average formal employment increased from 48,192 in the last quarter of 2017 to 48,708 in the first quarter of 2018, while the average earnings also increased by four per cent.

The NBS said when compared with the same quarter in 2017, the formal employment and earnings showed an improvement 5.4 per cent and 7.9 per cent, respectively.

“Increase in employment numbers in the first quarter of 2018 were recorded in the following industries: public administration and defence; compulsory social security; activities of households as employers of domestic personnel; transportation and storage; administrative and support services activities; wholesale and retail trade; and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles,” the bulletin read in part.

Data from the NBS showed that employment in the private, parastatal and government sectors stood at 31,276; 7,420 and 10,012, respectively, while earnings stood at 10,948; 15,310 and 16,941, respectively.

Of the employment numbers, the bulletin stated that “97.5 per cent are local workers, while 2.5 per cent are expatriates.”

It added that decreases were recorded in the activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies, other service activities, and financial and insurance activities, when compared to the same quarter in the previous year.

The NBS bulletin revealed that average earnings by sector in first quarter of 2018 were highest in the government sector and lowest in the private sector.

According to the NBS, an analysis of earnings by industry shows that among all the industry groups, the average earnings were highest in the financial and insurance activities industry, followed by the information and communications industry.

Source:- NBS