Introduction

The 2010 Population and Housing Census collected data on the economic characteristics of the population in the Sagnarigu District. These data provide information on the economic activity status of the population enumerated in the district by sector. The data are useful for the computation of economic indicators and the determination of the level of development in the district.

This chapter analyses the economic activities of persons classified as economically active and economically not active by their employment status by age, sex, locality of residence (urban or rural area), marital status, level of education, and sector of employment.

Economic Activity Status

Economic activity status describes the activity of the respondents during the seven (7) days prior to the census night. Information on economic activity was collected for persons 15 years and older.

Table 4.1 illustrates the activity status of population 15 years and older by sex. Out of the 92,564 people 15 years and older 59.0 percent are economically active while 41.0 percent are economically not active. Out of the economically active population 92.1 percent are employed and 7.9 percent are unemployed. Among those who are unemployed, majority (54.6%) of them are first time job seekers. Of the economically not active population, 58.2 percent are in full time education, while 22.3 percent did home duties.

It shows that 61.7 percent of the males are economically active population, while the females represent 56.4 percent. Also, more males (93.0%) than females (91.2%) are employed and more females (8.8%) than males (7.0%) are unemployed. While more males in the economically not active are in full time education than females, (71.7% and 46.3% respectively), more females than males did home duties (32.6% and 10.6% respectively).

Economic Activity Status and Age

Table 4.2 presents population 15 years and older by sex, age and activity status. Overall, the table indicates that 54.4 percent of the population 15 years and older in the district are employed, 4.6 percent is unemployed and 41.0 percent are economically not active. The pattern by age shows that the proportion that is employed is lowest at 15-19 yeaes and represent 14.8 percent and steadily increases to peak at 84.2 percent within the age group 45-49 years and then gradually reduces to reach 39.8 percent at age 65 years and older.

Conversely, the proportion of the economically not active population is highest at age 15-19 years, reduces as age increases to a low of 13.1 percent at age 45-49 years before rising to 59.3 percent at age 65 years and older. By sex, a higher proportion of the males (57.3%) than females (51.4%) are reported to be employed in the district.

There is virtually no difference in the pattern of economic activity status by age and sex in the general population described above. We find, however, that at all ages, a higher proportion of males than females are employed while the reverse is the case with respect to the economically not active population in the district.

Occupation

Table 4.3 shows the employed population 15 years and older by occupation and sex. It indicates that four main occupational groups in the district and these together provide jobs for up to about 82 percent of all employed persons 15 years and older in the district. These are service and sales workers (27.0%), craft and related trades workers (22.0%), skilled agricultural forestry and fishery workers (21.5%) and professionals (11.1%). Apart from these, there are other minor occupational groups such as plant and machine operators and assemblers and, elementary occupations which respectively engage 6.1 percent and 4.4

percent of employed persons in the district. Each of the remaining types of occupation provides jobs for less than three percent of the employed persons. There are also some significant variations between the males and females as to the type of occupation they are engaged in.

These are particularly visible in the following occupational groups: service and sales (12.4% males and 43.3% females); skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (31.2% males and 10.7% females) and plant and machine operators and assemblers (7.9% for males and 0.4% for females). This means that some of the occupations are selective of males while others are mainly for females.