Unemployment Declines to 5.4pct during Q2 of 2010 in Sri Lanka

08th November 2010, www.island.lk

Labour Force Statistics released by the Department of Census and Statistics showed unemployment had declined to 5.4 percent during the second quarter of this year, which saw the economy grow 8.5 percent. The number of people without jobs is estimated at 437,000.

Unemployment for the second quarter of last year amounted to 6.3 percent, or 496,000 people.

The total labour force increased to 7,613,267 during the second quarter of this year from 7,465,030 a year ago.

Agriculture, which accounts for 32 percent of the jobs, had 2,439,391employed, an increase against 2,382,913 a year ago.

The services sector saw employment increase to 3,378,672 from 3,168,224 a year ago. The sector accounts for 44.4 percent of the jobs.

Employment in the industrial sector declined to 1,795,204 from 1,913,893 a year ago and accounted for 23.6 percent of the jobs.