Series Information
Considering the development process of the country and dynamic nature of the sectors and fulfilling the demands of different data users, the CSA had launched Urban Employment Unemployment Survey program since 2003. The Agency conducted four surveys in four rounds, that is, October 2003, April 2004, April 2006 and May 2009. The results of these surveys were published in statistical and analytical bulletin number 301, 319, 373,469, 477 and 499. The 2011 Urban Employment and Unemployment Survey, which was conducted from March 15 - March 30, 2011 is the six series. Unlike the previous surveys, the May 2009, May 2010 and the current survey of March 2011 have collected information from selected major towns with population size 100,000 and above including regional capitals.
Abstract
Statistical information on all aspects of the population is vital for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of economic and social development plan and policy issues. Labour force survey is one of the most important sources of data for assessing the role of the population of the country in the economic and social development process. It is useful to indicate the extent of available and unutilized human resources that must be absorbed by the national economy to ensure full employment and economic well being of the population. Statistics on the labour force further present the measurement of economic activity status and its relationship to other social and economic characteristics of the population. Seasonal and other variations as well as changes over time in the size and characteristics of employed and unemployed populations that can be monitored using up-to-date information from labour force surveys. It serves as an input for assessing the meeting of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Furthermore, labour force datais also used as a springboard for monitoring and evaluation of the five years growth and transformation plan of a country.
Despite the significance of the labopur force data, the availability of reliable and timely labour force data were inadequate. The lack of reliable and timely data on different aspects of the population hinders the monitoring and evaluation of changes of developmental activities.
In order to fill the gap in data requirement for the purpose of socio-economic development planning, monitoring and evaluation, the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) has been providing labour force and related data at different levels with various contents and details. These include the 1976 Addis Ababa Manpower and Housing Sample Survey, the 1978 Survey on Population and Housing Characteristics of Seventeen Major Towns, the 1980/81 and 1987/88 Rural Labour Force Surveys (RLFS). Also, the 1984, 1994 and 2007 Population and Housing Censuses and the 1999 and 2005 National Labour Force Surveys provided a comprehensive national labour force data representing both urban and rural areas.
The survey results mainly provide data on the main characteristics of employed and unemployed population, that is, the work force engaged or available to be engaged in the production of economic goods and services and its distribution in the various sectors of the economy during a given reference period.
In addition, data on economic activities of children were also collected to measure child labour in urban areas. For this purpose, the former minimum age limit 10 years was lower down to 5 years since May 2009. Therefore, the data in this survey were collected from those persons aged five years and over. However, for the purpose of measuring the economic activity status based on Ethiopian situation, the lower age limit was fixed in to ten years. This is because children in rural and urban areas used to work at their early age such as collection of fire wood, looking after cattle, shoeshine, street vendor, petty trading…etc. Thus, the May 2011 Urban Employment and Unemployment Survey statistical report is mainly aimed at provide information on the economic characteristics of the population aged ten years and over.
Furthermore, the 2011 UEUS provide data on employment on the informal sector, their spatial distribution and problem in the sector.