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Table 003A (Labor, General)
Labor Force Trends (1995-2004)
Lab003ae
  Household Population                   (10 Years & Over) Total Labor Force Labor Force Participation Rate (%) Employed Unemployed   Not In Labor Force
Labor Force Number Rate                               (% to labor force) Number Rate                             (% to labor force)
      Sex      Year Male  Female Total Male  Female Total Male  Female Both sexes Male  Female Total Male  Female Both Sexes Male Female  Total Male Female Both Sexes Male  Female Total
1995 6,318,003 6,418,183 12,736,185 4,068,608 2,037,530 6,106,138 64.4 31.7 47.9 3,700,951 1,656,166 5,357,117 91.0 81.3 87.7 367,656 381,364 749,021 9.0 18.7 12.3 2,249,395 4,380,652 6,630,048
1996 6,373,670 6,457,583 12,831,240 4,200,886 2,041,002 6,241,889 65.9 31.6 48.6 3,857,147 1,680,138 5,537,285 91.8 82.3 88.7 343,741 360,864 704,604 8.2 17.7 11.3 2,172,784 4,416,583 6,589,365
1997 6,372,365 6,498,427 12,870,791 4,184,248 2,081,906 6,266,160 65.6 32.0 48.7 3,862,087 1,745,794 5,607,881 92.3 83.9 89.5 322,168 336,112 658,279 7.7 16.1 10.5 2,188,110 4,416,521 6,604,630
1998 6,344,453 6,537,344 12,881,790 4,281,996 2,378,526 6,660,520 67.5 36.4 51.7 4,004,504 2,044,732 6,049,238 93.5 86.0 90.8 277,491 333,795 611,285 6.5 14.0 9.2 2,062,456 4,158,818 6,221,274
1999 6,506,662 6,662,613 13,169,250 4,402,713 2,270,782 6,673,487 67.7 34.1 50.7 4,107,497 1,975,153 6,082,641 93.3 87.0 91.2 295,217 295,629 590,846 6.7 13.0 8.9 2,103,953 4,392,047 6,495,782
2000 6,702,871 6,861,794 13,564,660 4,501,597 2,325,716 6,827,312 67.2 33.9 50.3 4,241,477 2,068,667 6,310,145 94.2 89.0 92.4 260,120 257,048 517,168 5.8 11.0 7.6 2,201,274 4,536,078 6,737,345
2001 6,837,264 7,033,214 13,870,479 4,529,016 2,243,818 6,772,834 66.0 31.9 48.8 4,248,877 1,986,711 6,235,588 93.8 88.5 92.1 280,139 257,107 537,246 6.2 11.5 7.9 2,308,248 4,789,396 7,067,644
2002 6,935,012 7,266,384 14,201,396 4,705,586 2,439,796 7,145,382 67.9 33.6 50.3 4,395,164 2,124,250 6,519,415 93.4 87.1 91.2 310,421 315,546 625,967 6.6 12.9 8.8 2,229,427 4,826,588 7,056,014
2003 7,657,368 7,994,111 15,651,479 5,144,206 2,509,510 7,653,716 67.2 31.4 48.9 4,833,483 2,179,272 7,012,755 94.0 86.8 91.6 310,723 330,238 640,961 6.0 13.0 8.4 2,513,162 5,484,600 7,997,763
2004 8,049,643 8,543,788 16,593,431 5,372,897 2,688,457 8,061,354 66.7 31.5 48.6 5,049,426 2,344,604 7,394,029 94.0 87.2 91.7 323,471 343,853 667,324 6.0 12.8 8.3 2,676,746 5,855,331 8,532,077
© 2008, KRI (Kusaka Research Institute) 
Source : 
Sri Lanka Labor Force Survey Department of Census and Statistics 
Key : 
1. Up to 2002 both Northern and Eastern provinces are excluded.
2. Eastern Province is included for year 2003
3. Mullativu and Killinochchi districts were excluded  for year 2004 due to some problems observed in the sampling frame.
Revised:  2008(y)/03(m)/10(d)
Chief Editor:
Dr. Milton Rajaratne (B.Com., M.Sc., Ph.D.)
      Head, Department of Management Studies
      University of Peradeniya.