Women's Unemployment Rate Higher Than That Of Males - ZIMSTAT
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) has reported that the unemployment rate of females in Zimbabwe was higher than that of their male counterparts in the first three months of 2022.
ZIMSTAT defined people in the unemployment category as “persons who during the reference period; were without paid work, were seeking for work and were available to start working.”
ZIMSTAT’s definition of employed people includes subsistence farmers and those in the informal sector, such as vendors.
The details, contained in the agency’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first three months, seen by Pindula News, said:
Total number of employed persons was estimated at 3,3 million. Unemployment rate using the strict definition was estimated at 19%.
Seventy-seven percent of the employed persons earned income of RTGS$20,000 and below during the month of January 2022.
Nineteen percent of persons 15 years and above were unemployed. Among males the rate was 18 percent while for females it was 21 percent. Matabeleland North province had the highest unemployment rate of 37 percent.
The age groups (15-19) years had the highest unemployment rate of 39 percent followed by those aged (20-24) years at 34 percent.
Youth (15-24) years had a national unemployment rate of 35 percent. The national unemployment rate for youth (15-34) years was 27 percent. Unemployment rate was highest among those who had completed upper secondary at 28 percent followed by those with lower secondary at 22 percent.
The expanded national unemployment rate for persons 15 years and above was 47 percent. It was higher for females at 52 percent than males with 43 percent. Matabeleland North had the highest expanded unemployment rate of 65 percent.
The age group (15-19) years had the highest expanded unemployment rate of 72 percent. Youths (15-24) years had a national expanded unemployment rate of 66 percent while the national expanded unemployment rate for youths (15-34) years was 57 percent.
The working-age population was estimated at 9 million, constituting 59 per cent of the total population.
Harare had the highest proportion of the employed population at around 25% followed by Mashonaland West at 14%, Matabeleland North with 3% had the least proportion.
