eBusiness Weekly
Business Writer
Zimbabwe had fewer people employed in the third quarter to September 30, 2022 when compared to the previous quarter, a report released on Tuesday, in Bulawayo, by the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (ZimStat) shows.
According to ZimStat, the country had 3 125 361 employed people in the third quarter, which is 125,189 or 4 percent lower than the 3 250 550 that were employed in the second quarter.
While most sectors shed jobs, the agriculture sector was the most affected with the number of employed persons in the sector dropping 149,167 jobs to 546 399 from 695 566. Analysts say the drop is to be expected post the winter wheat farming season.
The formal (non-agriculture) sector also shed 25 772 jobs to 907 943 from 933 718.
There was, however, growth in the number of employed people in the informal (non-agriculture) sector by 55 395 to 1 500 534 up from 1 445 139.
The changes above resulted in changes to each sector’s contribution, in percentage terms, to the total number of employed people.
The informal sector (non-agric) recorded the biggest jump after its contribution levels increased by 3,5 percentage points to 48 percent of total employed persons.
The formal sector (non-agric)’s contribution grew by a marginal 0,4 percentage points while the household sector had a 0,1 percentage growth.
The agriculture sector contribution, however, recorded negative growth of 3,9 percentage points to 17,5 percent down from 21,4 percent in the previous quarter.
As has been the case throughout the year, and the years before, Harare had the largest employment levels at 24,1 percent of total employed persons improving from the second quarter.
Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East followed with employment levels of 13 percent and 12,2 percent respectively.
The bulk of the employed people in the country are employed in the wholesale and retail trade; sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles at 27,5 percent of total employed people.
The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector follow employing as many as 17,5 percent of the total employed people.
Most Zimbabweans are, however, self-employed at 42,3 percent while those formally employed are as many as 37,9 percent.
Close to 50 percent of the employed people were earning less than $30 000 according to July data.
Employed persons in the informal sector account for 48 percent. However, persons informally employed constituted 87,4 percent. A total 30,5 percent working in the wholesale and retail trade; sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles are informally employed. The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector informally employs 19,2 percent of its total employment.
The official unemployment rate (strict) stood at 20,1 percent while the official unemployment rate (expanded) stood at 47,8 percent.
The number of Youth Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) and aged between 15-24 years increased by 18 152 to 1 385 443 from 1 367 291 in the previous quarter.
