93.4% Zimbabweans are employed, claims Zimstat

AT least only 6,6 percent of the economically active Zimbabwean population of 5,6 million people is unemployed with the majority of those that are working found in the agriculture sector, a new survey by the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (Zimstat) reveals.

According to the 2017 Inter-Censal Demographic Survey (ICDS), launched last week, with technical and financial assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 93, 4 percent of the population is employed in one way or the other.

The ICDS is carried out once every five years and showed that the country has a total population of 13 572 560.

In terms of the breakdown, 52 percent, amounting to 2,9 million, work in the agriculture sector while 14,8 percent are self-employed in different sectors of the economy while the rest are employed elsewhere.

"According to the ICDS 2017, the population age 15 years and above for Zimbabwe is 8 072 178 and 60 percent of this population is economically active," said Zimstat.

"Out of the economically active population, seven percent are unemployed while 93 percent are employed."

Those who are not working, about 2,46 million, were classified as mostly students, "home makers" who are stay at home mothers, as well as the elderly, retired and sick.

The data also revealed that three percent of children, who are under the age of 15, were working, which is against international labour conventions.

"The largest proportion of working children are involved in agriculture followed by unpaid family work," read the report.

"About two percent of children aged 10-14 years are looking for work."

Many Non-Governmental Organisations and some opposition political parties are likely to dismiss the survey as they prefer to put unemployment in Zimbabwe at more than 90 percent.