ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: The employment ratio in the agriculture sector has declined to 44.1 per cent of the total employed labour force during the fiscal year 2006 as against 48.4 per cent share in the year 1999-2000.

Official findings of the third quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2005-06, however, showed that a marginal increase of one percentage point in agriculture employment was recorded during the year as against the 43.1pc share recorded in the LFS 2003-04.

The overall decline in the share of employment by agriculture sector is attributable to highly mechanised farming along with no tangible expansion in the cultivation areas of major crops.

Agriculture, which is the backbone of the country's economy, currently absorbed around 17 million people of both sexes, which remained stagnated during the last few years.

According to the quarterly report, the share of manufacturing sector in employment was recorded at 13.7 per cent in 2005-06, which was same in the LFS 2003-04 and 2001-02.

This showed that the manufacturing sector also did not register any tangible growth in providing employment in proportion to the raise in the population. The statistics also negate the government’s claim that huge investments were attracted during the last year.

This means that investments were made in those sectors, which did not help in generating employment opportunities, excluding the telecommunication sector.

The other sectors, the share of which not only remained stagnated at a certain percentage, included wholesale and retail trade, but declined to 14.3 per cent during the period under review from 14.8 per cent recorded in LFS 2003-04.

The survey had put the total unemployment at 6.5 per cent compared with previously recorded 7.7pc in 2003-04. Of these the male unemployment stood at 5.6 per cent and female at 9.9 per cent. However, the unemployment for both sexes stood at 7pc to 10pc in youth population between the 19 to 24 years of age.

A comparison of male and female unemployment rates reveals that the labour force participation rates for females have been increasing over the years. The unemployment ratio of female workers declined to 9.9 per cent during 2005-06 as against 17.3 per cent in 1999-2000.

While in case of male unemployment the situation remained almost the same.

Multiple factors like increased awareness, better educational opportunities, equal employment opportunities, changing social attitudes etc., are responsible for this reduction in female unemployment.

The majority 72 per cent of the total population is distributed -- as employees 37 per cent and self-employed 35 per cent. Then come the unpaid family helpers — getting no pay in cash or kinds — stood at 27 per cent and employers one per cent.

This reveals that the unpaid family helpers increased from 24 per cent recorded in LFS 2003-04 to 27 per cent in 2005-06.

As expected, more female workers are engaged as unpaid family workers 58 per cent compared to male workers 19 per cent, whereas, more male workers are engaged in the category of self-employed, employees and employers.