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According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey conducted
by the Department of Census and Statistics, the labour force at the end
of the third quarter of 2000 was estimated at 6.7 million, showing a
labour force participation rate of 49 per cent. The share of
employment in labour force continued to increase, reaching 92 per cent
in 2000 compared with 84 per cent in 1990. The private sector remained
the major contributor to employment generation as its economic activity
grew faster. Manufacturing, agriculture, trade and hotels,
finance, insurance and real estate and construction were the major areas
of employment generation. According to the Board of Investment of Sri
Lanka (BOI), about 41,000 new employment opportunities were generated
through BOI approved projects in 2000.
Employment in the public sector increased in
2000 by about 36,000 (3.2 per cent) mainly due to recruitment of
university graduates and increases in Samurdhi workers, defence
personnel and teachers. Meanwhile, employment in semi-government
institutions increased marginally by about 1 per cent to around 300,000
in 2000. However, the share of public sector employment in total
employment further decreased to 13.6 per cent in 2000 from 14.4 per cent
in 1999. This declining trend in public sector employment is attributed
to faster growth in employment opportunities in the private sector and
on-going restructuring programmes in public sector institutions.
The share of the public sector (government and
semi-government) in total employment has been declining due to the
ongoing privatisation and restructuring programmes of semi-government
institutions and a faster expansion of the private sector. This trend
reversed somewhat in 1999. According to the Labour Force Survey of the
Department of Census and Statistics, the share of the public sector in
total household employment had declined from 21 per cent in 1990 to 14
per cent in the third quarter of 1999. However, the share of public
sector employment increased to 14.5 per cent during the first three
quarters of 1999, compared with 14 per cent during the first three
quarters of 1998. According to the annual employment survey conducted by
the Central Bank, employment in the public sector covering the central
government, provincial and local governments and semi-government
institutions such as corporations and boards. is estimated at 1,120,000
persons in 1999, an increase of 3 per cent over the previous year.
Of the total increase in 1999 amounting to around 29,224, nearly 10,000
were graduates recruited under the Graduate Training Programme.
Employment in government institutions in 1999 was 822,000, an increase
of 4 per cent from 1998. Employment in semi-government institutions
declined by about 1 per cent to 298,000 in 1999.
Unemployment
The unemployment rate, which had declined from 15.9 per cent in 1990 to
8.9 per cent in 1999, further declined to 7.7 per cent in 2000. The
female unemployment rate still remains higher than the male unemployment
rate, but it is declining at a somewhat faster rate. Unemployment was
high among youth with higher education, reflecting the need for
educational reforms.
Unemployment Rate by Age Groups, %
(Percentage of Labour Force)
| Period |
Age Groups |
| 15-19 |
20-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50 & above |
All |
| 1990 |
40.1 |
30.3 |
8.4 |
4.0 |
2.1 |
15.9 |
| 1994 |
40.7 |
24.5 |
7.6 |
2.5 |
1.2 |
13.1 |
| 1995 |
60.5 |
31.7 |
8.0 |
2.9 |
0.4 |
12.3 |
| 1997 |
34.0 |
21.9 |
5.2 |
1.7 |
0.6 |
10.5 |
| 1998(a) |
27.4 |
19.8 |
5.3 |
2.1 |
0.7 |
9.5 |
| 1st Quarter |
27.3 |
21.7 |
5.5 |
3.3 |
1.0 |
10.6 |
| 2nd Quarter |
25.4 |
20.7 |
5.3 |
1.6 |
0.5 |
9.5 |
| 3rd Quarter |
30.3 |
18.9 |
4.4 |
1.6 |
1.1 |
9.1 |
| 4th Quarter |
26.6 |
17.8 |
6.0 |
2.0 |
- |
8.8 |
| 1999(b) |
29.0 |
18.8 |
4.5 |
1.4 |
1.0 |
8.8 |
| 1st Quarter |
25.5 |
20.2 |
4.0 |
1.1 |
0.8 |
8.6 |
| 2nd Quarter |
29.5 |
17.3 |
4.2 |
1.7 |
1.4 |
8.5 |
| 3rd Quarter |
32.0 |
18.9 |
5.3 |
1.3 |
0.8 |
9.1 |
(a) Average for four quarters
(b) Average for three quarters
Source : Department of Census and Statistics
Unemployment Rate by Level of Education, %
(Percentage of Labour Force)
| Period |
No Schooling |
Grade 0-4/ Year 1 -5 |
Grade 5-9/ Year 6-10 |
GCE(O/L)/ NCGE |
GCE(A/L)/ HNCE and Above |
All |
| 1990 |
3.3 |
5.1 |
17.2 |
23.9 |
29.4 |
15.9 |
| 1994 |
2.6 |
5.0 |
13.0 |
19.6 |
23.7 |
13.1 |
| 1995 |
1.8 |
3.4 |
12.8 |
18.4 |
20.0 |
12.3 |
| 1997 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
10.6 |
15.9 |
19.3 |
10.5 |
| 1998(a) |
0.7 |
2.4 |
9.4 |
14.4 |
17.6 |
9.5 |
| 1st Quarter |
0.1 |
2.9 |
12.0 |
15.8 |
14.9 |
10.6 |
| 2nd Quarter |
0.4 |
1.9 |
9.1 |
14.4 |
18.9 |
9.5 |
| 3rd Quarter |
- |
2.5 |
9.2 |
12.9 |
16.9 |
9.1 |
| 4thQuarter |
2.3 |
2.4 |
7.4 |
14.4 |
19.6 |
8.8 |
| 1999(b) |
0.5 |
1.9 |
8.4 |
12.9 |
17.4 |
8.8 |
| 1st Quarter |
0.1 |
1.7 |
8.0 |
12.4 |
19.6 |
8.6 |
| 2nd Quarter |
1.1 |
1.7 |
8.2 |
12.5 |
15.8 |
8.5 |
| 3rd Quarter |
0.3 |
2.2 |
9.1 |
13.8 |
16.9 |
9.1 |
(a) Average for four quarters
(b) Average for first three quarters
Source: Department of Census and Statistics
Foreign Employment
Foreign employment placements secured through
registered sources were around 166,000 in 2000 compared with around
178,000 in 1999, reflecting a temporary slow down due to two Ramazan
festival periods in 2000. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE)
has continued to provide a number of support facilities for registered
migrant workers and their families. The share of
employment placements through licensed agents increased to 76 per cent
in 2000 compared with 68 per cent in 1999.
According to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE),
employment placements abroad rose significantly from 160,000 in 1998 to
178,000 in 1999. The total number of Sri Lankan workers abroad is
estimated to be around 788,000, of whom nearly 90 per cent were employed
in countries in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and United Arab
Emirates were the principal countries, which attracted workers from Sri
Lanka. In recent years, more than 150,000 Sri Lankan workers have
departed each year for foreign employment through registered sources.
During the 1994-1999 period, nearly 882,000 foreign employment
placements were secured for Sri Lankan workers. Foreign employment
placements in 1999 were 178,052, an increase of 18,236 compared with
159,816 placements in 1998. As earlier, the majority of placements were
in the category of unskilled labour (inclusive of housemaids) which
accounted for nearly 73 per cent of total placements in 1999. Housemaids
accounted for about 49 per cent of the total foreign employment
placements in 1999. The majority of placements in 1999 (65 per cent)
consisted of female workers.
Foreign Employment
| Item |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999(a) |
| Employment Placements |
172,489 |
162,576 |
150,283 |
159,816 |
178,052 |
| By Source |
| Licensed Agents |
118,692 |
115,446 |
115,043 |
112,539 |
120,218 |
| Other |
53,797 |
47,130 |
35,240 |
47,277 |
57,834 |
| By sex |
|
|
|
|
|
| Males |
46,021 |
42,112 |
37,552 |
53,867 |
62,949 |
| Females |
126,468 |
120,464 |
112,731 |
105,949 |
115,103 |
| By Manpower Category |
| Housemaids |
113,860 |
110,479 |
99,429 |
85,349 |
87,191 |
| Skilled Labour |
27,165 |
24,447 |
24,578 |
31,787 |
37,145 |
| Unskilled Labour |
23,497 |
21,735 |
20,485 |
34,109 |
43,153 |
| Other |
7,967 |
5,915 |
5,791 |
8,571 |
10,563 |
| Licensed Employment Agencies (Year End) |
477 |
464 |
520 |
385 |
500 |
| Number of Training Centres |
| By SLBFE |
12 |
15 |
15 |
17 |
20 |
| By Private Agents |
- |
22 |
22 |
28 |
29 |
(a) Provisional
Source : Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment |
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