The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday reported that jobs created in the economy rose by 469,070 in the first quarter of this year, representing an increase of 26.95 per cent over the number of jobs created in the preceding quarter.
The Bureau, in its latest quarterly jobs survey findings, indicated that out of the total jobs, the formal sector generated 130,941 “white collar” jobs, accounting for about 27.9 per cent of the total. The sector’s share however decreased when analysed on quarter-by-quarter basis by 7,085 or 5.13 per cent to the Q4, 2014 figures and showed a consistent drop for the third consecutive quarter in the sector.
Comparatively, under informal jobs sector, which typically consists of low skilled and often low paying jobs generated by individuals or micro businesses employing less than 10 or those businesses operating with little or no structures, the Bureau reported 332,403 new jobs in the sector in the first quarter this year compared to the 227,072 new jobs in the preceding quarter.
This difference of the created jobs in the informal sector represents a 46.39 per cent increase between the Q4, 2014 and first quarter of this year or 71 per cent of total jobs created in Q1 2015.
The NBS stated that the increase in the informal jobs was anticipated, given the various informal economic activities that came on during election periods while noting that the declining availability of formal sector jobs relative to demand for them is resulting in unsuccessful job seekers establishing micro businesses and engaging in more informal, lower skilled and often lower paying economic activities in order to survive.
Expatiating further on the jobs trend, the NBS stated that there was a 30.5 per cent (or 1,339 jobs) increase in the number of jobs created in the public sector of the economy, making the total jobs created in the public sector in the reviewed quarter 5,726, representing 1.2 per cent of the total jobs generated in Q1, 2015.
The objective of the quarterly survey, which is a nationwide survey, covering all 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, is to track the number of jobs being created in the economy within a given period of time, provide multi-sectoral and policy relevant data on the employment- generating sectors, seasonality in employment and the labour market.
The findings of the survey in which sample of 5000 establishments was taken across the country and which achieved 82.1percent response from the establishments selected in the sample, are categorized into Formal sector jobs, Informal sector and Public sector jobs.
