Table 046 (Labor, Unemploy.)

Unemployment (1999 - 2008)

lab046e

Year

1999(a)

2000(a)

2001(a)

2002(a)

2003(b)

2004(c )

2005(d)(e)

2006(a)

2007(a)

2008(a)

By Age Group

Percentage Distribution

15 - 19 years

23.9

19.5

21.2

19.8

19.9

18.1

19.5

17.5

15.7

16.1(f)

20 - 24

40.5

44.4

45.4

47.1

45.8

45.9

44.8

39.3

41.2

36.0(f)

25 - 29

17.2

18.4

17.8

16.6

17.2

17.4

16.4

21.5

19.7

21.6(f)

30 - 39

12.5

11.9

10.4

11.6

11.7

12.2

11.9

13.1

15.2(f)

Above 40 years

5.9

5.8

5.1

5.5

5.6

6.8

7.1

9.8

10.4

11.1(f)

Total

100

100.0(f)

% of Labour Force

15 - 19 years

28.4

23.4

29.8

30.1

30.3

28.3

30.8

23.1

21.6

20.6

20 - 29

18.9

17.4

18.4

20.1

19.4

19.2

17.2

15.9

13.2

30 - 39

4.4

3.6

3.4

3.9

3.8

3.3

3.1

40 - 49

1.6

1.3

} 0.9

1.6

1.1

1.3

1.2

1.4

1.3

1.2

50 years and above

0.8

Total

8.9

7.6

7.9

8.8

8.4

8.3

7.7

6.5

5.2

By Level of Education

Percentage Distribution

No schooling

4.4

3.1

3.6

4.7

4.8

5.4

4.5

4.6

4.4

4.8(f)

Grade 0 - 4 (1 - 5 years)

Grade 5 - 10(6 - 11 years)

41.9

45.6

40.7

40.2

36.6

37.2

41.9

39.6(f)

G.C.E.(O/L)

29.2

27.3

25.2

26.1

26.2

28.6

26.6

23.2(f)

G.C.E.(A/L) and above

24.5

25.3

28.4

29.4

28.9

31.7

29.7

26.9

32.6

32.4(f)

Total

100

100.0(f)

% of Labour Force

No schooling

0.4

1.0

1.3

1.8

1.7

1.8

…

1.3

1.1

Grade 0 - 4 (1 - 5 years)

1.9

Grade 5 - 10(6 - 11 years)

8.2

7.5

7.1

7.9

7.4

6.9

6.3

5.8

5.2

4.5

G.C.E.(O/L)

13.6

11.3

11.8

13.3

12.3

11.5

9.9

8.2

7.4

G.C.E.(A/L) and above

17.9

14.9

15.3

16.8

16.5

16.8

13.8

11.6

11.8

9.9

Total

8.9

7.6

7.9

8.8

8.4

8.3

7.7

6.5

5.2

By Sector and Sex, % of Labour

Urban

Male

7.8

6.5

6.3

6.5

7.1

6.1

5.3

n.a.

Female

13.3

11.5

11.1

12.7

12.9

13.7

9.3

n.a.

Total

9.5

8.1

7.7

8.4

8.9

8.4

6.4

n.a.

Rural

Male

6.5

5.7

6.2

6.6

5.9

5.6

n.a.

Female

11.5

13.2

12.7

12.2

n.a.

Total

8.8

7.5

8.8

8.3

7.8

n.a.

All

Male

6.7

5.8

6.2

6.6

5.5

4.7

4.3

3.6

Female

11.1

11.5

12.9

13.2

12.8

11.9

9.7

Total

8.9

7.6

7.9

8.8

8.4

8.3

7.7

6.5

5.2

Source:

Central Bank of Sri Lanka

Note:

… Negligible

Unemployment Rate : The number of unemployment persons as a percentage of labour force.

Unemployed : Persons who are seeking and available for work, but had no employment during the reference period.

Key:

(a) Excluding Northern and Eastern provinces.

(b) Up to 4th quarter 2002, data excluding both Northern and Eastern provinces. Commencing from 1st quarter 2003,

Eastern province is included and only Northern province is excluded from the districts.

(d) All districts are included

(e) QLFS conducted as a one - off survey in August 2005.

(f) 3rd quarter data

Revised: 2009(y)/11(m)/10(d)

Chief Editor:

　　 Dr. Milton Rajaratne (B.Com., M.Sc., Ph.D.)

The Former Head, Department of Management Studies

University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka