3.4m jobs ‘created in 8 years’

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian economy has created 3.4 million jobs in the eight years, a newly released Integrated Labour Survey Report shows.

The report indicates that jobs in both the formal and informal sectors increased from 16.6 million in 2006 to 20 million in 2014.

The increase in employment was more notable in the informal sector, which saw employment more than doubled from 1.6 million jobs in 2006 to 4.3 million in 2014, the report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday shows.

The increase in the number of jobs in the informal sector went in tandem with the reduction in the number of unpaid workers from 3.6 per cent in 2006 to 1.8 per cent.

 “This indicates that there is improved access to employment opportunities for the salaried and self-employed in 2014 as compared to 2006,” the report reads in part.

The growth of informal sector employment also calls for more policy action to formalise employment for the betterment of employment conditions, according to the report.

Speaking at the launch of the report yesterday, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Coordination and Parliamentary Affairs), Ms Jenista Mhagama, agreed with the report’s recommendations, saying the government would expedite the formalisation of the informal sector.

She said this would see more people get involved and increase income contributed by the sector and enable the government to timely implement development projects.

“Though we have noted a decline in the contribution of the agriculture sector as compared to 2006, the informal sector’s growth is promising,” she said.

“They are important partners in our journey to become a middle-income economy by year 2025 with individual earnings of $3,000.”

The most stagnant growth in employment was in both the parastatal and the private sector with the increase of 6,000 and 140,000 jobs, respectively.

Women as a group registered the largest growth in employment in the informal sector of any demographic group from 754,932 in 2006 to 2,200,000 jobs.  Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has fallen to 10.3 per cent in 2014 from 11.7 to 10.3 per cent registered in 2006.

The labour force has grown to 22.3 million people as compared to 18.8 million in the 2006. 

The new report also indicates that there was a general increase in the country’s working age population to 25.7 million in 2014 compared to 21 million registered in 2006.

The report also shows that the proportion of employment in the central and local governments increased in 2014 compared to 2006. 

According to the report, in 2014, the growth rate in employment for central and local governments increased to 3 per cent compared to 2.4 per cent noted in 2006.

The agriculture sector created 13.2 million jobs in 2014, up from 12.4 million in 2006.

Although the agriculture sector has remained the largest employer, its share of employment declined from 75.1 per cent in 2006 to 65.7 per cent in 2012.

The report also reveals that in 2014, the highest proportion of employment was in the occupational category of skilled agricultural and fisheries workers. The second and third highest proportions are in elementary occupations and service workers and shop sales workers.

There is an increase in working hours under the paid employment, self-employed, unpaid employment and those practicing agriculture has increased in the weekly basis.

The report shows that in 2014 workers in the paid employment category spetd 56 working hours compared to 53 hours in 2006. Those in self-employment spent 51 hours, one more than in 2006. Unpaid employees spend 47 hours now contrary to 30 hours spent during the 2006/2007 report.

Likewise, those owning farms spend one additional time as compared to 30 hours listed in the 2006/2007.

The Director General of NBS Dr Albina Chuwa, said data for the survey was collected from January to December, 2014 using samples of the 2012 House and Demographic Survey.

She said they collaborated with the then Ministry of Labour and Employment, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and World Bank.

NBS will use updated technology in conducting its research so as to go in line with the adopted world’s Sustainable Development goals (SDG’s) in the coming 15 years.

Dr Chuwa said according to the 2015 Statistics Act, the 2014 released report on integrated labour was a legal document that was available for consumption of policy makers from the government and other development partners.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) country representative, Ms Mary Kawar, expressed ILO’s continued commitment in helping the country to come up with reports that will help in implementing its goals.