Paid Employment Sector Grew by 1.1 per cent in 2018

The national paid employment sector grew by 1.1 per cent in 2018, the Bureau of Statistics said, in a January 2020 report says.

The increase marked an entry of close to 2000 people in the workforce. Of this, the biggest increase was noted in the manufacturing sector.

The Bureau said the statistics were gauged from registered establishments.

The manufacturing sector marked the biggest increase in workforce, ahead education and the hospitality industry. The survey unveiled the margin between the wage earners – that dominated the market over salary earners.

The results of the 2018 survey, released by the Bureau in its January 2020 update, indicated an increase from 174,833 in 2017 to 176,781 in 2018.

The Bureau said 103, 824 employees or 58.7 per cent were wage earners, while salary earners made up 41.3 per cent or just over 72,000 workers of the paid workforce.

The manufacturing field marked the largest influx per sector for paid employment, the Bureau said.

The workforce increased by 1005 or 4.3 per cent.

The accommodation and food service activities workforce grew by 2.4 per cent or 405 workers to 17,588, the bureau said.

The wholesale and retail sector along motor vehicle mechanics comprised the largest number of paid employees by industry at 30,000 employees.

The Bureau said the increase in employment for motor vehicle mechanics and the wholesale and retail industry was marked by a 0.2 per cent increase.

In the area of public administration and defence and, compulsory security, the number of employees rose by 0.6 per cent or 99 people to 17,192 workers.

The education sector grew by a marginal 0.2 per cent or 34 people to 16,742 employees.

The Bureau noted a decline in paid employees in the fields of:

·water supply

·sewerage,

·waste management,

·remediation activity, and,

·professional, scientific and technical activities.

The Bureau said it lumped all Government employees under the Central Division in the distribution of paid employees per division.

“Information related to employees of the central Government is obtained through its payroll system from the Government’s Information Technology and Computing Services,” the Bureau said.

“This ensures full coverage for all government employees which comprise 32,526 of paid employment.

“The limitation is that it cannot place employees at the location of their workplace.”

Registered companies

According to the Bureau, the biggest increase in paid employment by registered companies was noted in the Eastern division, at 34.6 per cent or 3,147 workers in 2018 from 2338 in 2017.

The number of paid employees in the Central division dropped by -5.5 per cent, from 34, 430 in 2017 to 32, 526 in 2018.

But the Northern Division marked a bigger decline in workforce at -7.4per cent or 8224 in 2018 against 8885 in 2017. Gender-wise, males made up the majority of paid workforce for 2018. And more than half the paid workforce of male employees were wage earners, the Bureau said. According to the Bureau, there were more male salary earners at 6069. Females made up 10,565 wage earners, while salary earners comprised 1983.