Unemployment rate falls to 4.1 percent

According to latest data of the Sri Lanka labour force survey of the Department of Census and Statistics, the unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013. Unemployment rate continually declined from 5.9 percent in 2009 and it was 4.6 percent in the first quarter of 2013 and 4.4 in the second and third quarters of the year.

However, unemployment rate reported for women was 6.4 percent and it was 2.8 percent for males. Under the classification of level of education the highest unemployment rate, 8.1 was reported from those who had passed the GCE (Advanced Level) and above.

Corresponding percentages were 5.0 percent and 11.2 percent for men and women. This shows that the problem of unemployment is more acute in the case of educated women than men.

The survey results further revealed that unemployment among women is higher than that of men, in all age groups.The estimated economically active population in the country in the fourth quarter 2013 was about 8.7 million, of which 64.6 percent were men and 35.4 percent were women.

Out of the economically inactive population, 25.1 percent were men and 74.9 percent were women. The total number of employed persons in Sri Lanka was estimated at about 8.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. Of which, about 44.2 percent were engaged in the service sector, 25.2 percent in industries sector and 30.6 percent in the agriculture sector.