News: Economy Generates 500,224 New Jobs in Six Months - National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Monday said the formal and informal sectors recorded 500,224 new jobs in the first half of the year.

The Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr Yemi Kale, made the disclosure in Abuja at a three-day National Stakeholders' Workshop on Review of the Definition and Methodology for Computation of Unemployment Statistics in Nigeria.

Kale said the sectors recorded 240,871 and 259,353 new jobs in the first and second quarters respectively.

According to him, the formal sector recorded 76,018 jobs in the first quarter while 78,755 jobs were created in the second quarter.

The Statistician-General said 158,894 jobs were created in informal sector in the first quarter, while 175,786 jobs were created in the second quarter.

"In the first quarter of 2014, the public sector recorded 5,959 jobs while 4,812 jobs recorded in the second quarter.

"The total new jobs for first quarter of 2014 was, therefore, 240,871, representing 10.3 per cent decrease from the previous quarter, which recorded 265,702 jobs and lower than the 431,021 jobs created in the corresponding quarter of 2013.

"The education (private) sector dominated the formal sector with the most number of jobs, taking up 23,643 jobs, representing 31 per cent of the total share, followed by manufacturing with 11,088 jobs, representing 14.6 per cent," Kale said.

He said electricity, gas steam and air conditioning supply sectors records 12 jobs and water supply, sewage, waste management and remediation sector created 12 jobs in the first quarter.

"The informal sector which constitutes most of the jobs created in agriculture and micro, small, medium scale enterprises went up to 9.8 per cent compared to the preceding quarter which was 143,278," he said.

He said the figure was lower than the 232,272 jobs created in the corresponding period of 2013.

Kale said the total new jobs created in the second quarter were 259,353, representing 7.1 per cent increase from the preceding quarter, which recorded 240,871 jobs.

The statistician-general also inaugurated the committee to review the definition and methodology for computation of unemployment statistics in Nigeria.

He said the review became necessary because under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) guidelines, anyone in the labour force who worked at least an hour during seven-day reference period was considered employed.

"Within the Nigerian context, any person in the labour force who did not work for up to 40 hours during reference week is considered to be unemployed.

"The definition used by NBS was adopted in a national workshop with several participants drawn from the National Statistical System (NSS).

"The use of 40 hours as a cut-off or measure has been described as outdated, by local and international partners and inconsistent with present realities in the country, he said.

Kale said the NBS inaugurated the committee in line with its mandate of developing and promoting the use of statistical standards and appropriate methodologies in the country.

The Director, ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Mrs Sina Chuma-Mkandawire, urged the Ministry of Labour and Productivity and NBS to build a strong statistical foundation for the review of the National Employment Policy.

Chuma-Mkandawire, who was represented by the Senior Programme Officer, Mrs Chinyere Emeka-Anuna, said sound policy could only be achieved on the basis of solid and empirical evidence.

Prof. Sarah Anyanwu from the University of Abuja, who chaired the committee, promised that the committee would make recommendations that would reflect the unemployment statistics in Nigeria in line with international standards.

Source: Guardian