ISLAMABAD, Jan 8: The rate of unemployment in Pakistan has gone down in the past two years. It was 7.7 per cent in 2003-04 but declined to 6.2 per cent in 2005-6. An official survey also claims that the strength of the country’s labour force increased from 45.5 million to 50.05 million during the period under review. The male employment rate receded a bit while the female employment rate recorded an increase of 2 per cent.

However, the employability of secondary and tertiary activities is generally on the rise, says the Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2005-06, a copy of which has been obtained by Dawn.

The survey also revealed that the literacy rate improved from 52 per cent in 2003-04 to 53 per cent in 2005-06.

The new labour force survey has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Statistics with the help of International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Study on employment by major industries reveals that the share of agriculture and allied activities (43.4 per cent) in 2005-06 was slightly higher than that in 2003-04 (43.2 per cent).

The size of the informal sector accounts for 73 per cent of employment in main jobs outside agriculture. This is particularly true for rural areas than urban areas. Male workers are more numerous relatively.

The profiles of comparative survey are analogous which alludes to structural rigidities. Informal sector’s employment ascends from 70 per cent in 2003-04 to 73 per cent in 2005-06.

However, the survey showed that the generally masculine activity of transport and commutation is getting a bit riskier while community, social and personal services display improvement in the comparative periods solely for men and women on the flip side.The number of hours worked in the week finds more than 80 per cent of employed persons working beyond the watershed "35 hours a week". Of these 30 per cent are reported to have worked "56 hours or more a week" in 2005-06 as compared to 31 per cent in 2003-04.

The employment status is denominated as employees, own-account workers, unpaid family workers and employers. The foremost category recedes from 38 per cent in 2003-04 to 37 per cent in 2005-06 due to women (31 per cent versus 26 per cent) exclusively.

Employment by major industry divisions apportions the largest slice (35 per cent) to wholesale and retail trade followed by manufacturing (21 per cent), community, social and personal services (18 per cent), construction (14 per cent) and transport (11 per cent). The other categories account for less than two per cent.

The comparative labour force survey indicates a mixed trend though ascents are more numerous than falls. Manufacturing and construction sectors register a relatively male-intense rise whereas that of wholesale and retail trade is female-driven. Services pare down more for females than males while transport remains nigh unchanged.

Estimates of the survey are based on the data of 32,744 sample households enumerated on quarterly basis through July 2005 to June 2006. Findings are presented in the form of proportions and percentages to provide for all purpose employability. The population of Pakistan as on January I, 2006 estimated at 155.37 million by extrapolating the population census 1998 with average growth rate of 1.90 per cent per annum.

The comparative labour force surveys present a mixed picture of marginal ascents and falls, though ascents are more numerous than falls. Of the ascending categories, legislators, senior officials and managers, service workers and shop and market sale workers and plant and machine operators and assemblers scale up for both genders whereas technicians and associate professors register male-driven increase.