ISLAMABAD, June 11: Unemployment rate has increased from 7.82 percent in 2000-01 to 8.27 percent in 2003-04, with a total of 3.72 million labour force as unemployed in the country, Economic Survey of Pakistan (ESP) 2003-04 revealed.

The ESP 2003-04 was released by Federal Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Shaukat Aziz at a crowded press conference here on Friday. Unemployment is defined as all persons of ten years of age and above who during the period under reference; one, are without work, two, currently available for work, three, seeking work.

As per this definition, about 3.72 million people in the labour force are estimated to be unemployed in 2003-04 compared with 3.65 million in 2002-03. Hence, unemployment has increased from 7.82 percent in 2000-01 to 8.27 percent in 2003-04, the ESP showed.

Similarly, statistics in the ESP also revealed that unemployment in rural areas, which was 6.94 percent in 2000-01 had risen to 7.55 percent in 2003-04, whereas urban unemployment had decreased from 9.92 percent in 2000-01 to 9.80 percent in 2003-04.

The country's population in mid-2004 is estimated at 148.72 million, with a growth rate of 1.9 percent. According to the statistics mentioned in the ESP 2003-04, the country's population has been growing at a decelerating pace which is expected to further reduce to 1.8 percent by 2004-05.

On the basis of the estimated population of 148.72 million and the participation rate of 29.61 percent, as per the Labour Force Survey 2001-02, the total labour force is estimated at 45.05 million. Of this, 30.19 million or 67.03 percent is in the rural areas and 14.85 million or 32.97 percent is in the urban areas.

A comparison of rural and urban participation rates reveals that the labour force participation rates are higher in rural areas as the country's economy is mainly agrarian and agriculture is a family occupation there.

The female labour force participation rate is far less compared to the male participation rate and as such their participation in economic activities is also low.

The total number of the employed labour force in 2003-04 is estimated at 41.32 million compared with 40.48 million in 2002- 03. The total number of employed persons in urban areas has increased from 13.12 million in 2002-03 to 13.4 million in 2003- 04). Similarly, rural employment increased from 27.36 million in 2002-03 to 27.91 million in 2003-04.

The agriculture sector absorbed 17.4 million or 42.1 percent of the total work force in 2003-04. This sector employed 18.09 million people in 2000-01 with a relative share of 48.4 percent.

The share of the employed labour force in the community and social services sector, which was 14.2 percent in 2000-01, has increased by 15.5 percent in 2003-04.

The share of the trade sector has also increased from 13.5 percent in 2000-01 to 14.8 percent in 2003-2004, while that of the manufacturing sector has increased from 11.6 percent to 13.8 percent in the same period.