Timor-Leste Labour Force Survey 2021 - Summary Report
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▶Timor-Leste Labour Force Survey 2021 - Summary Report
Compared to results from the LFS conducted in 2013, the number of unemployed persons
decreased by 10.7 thousand (from 23.4 thousand in 2013), a decline of nearly 46 per cent. This
trend took place despite the labour force participation rate remaining the same, and the labour
force increasing by 33.8 thousand persons. However, one can observe an even bigger increase
in the population outside the labour force by 79.3 thousand (562.4 thousand in 2021 against
483.1 thousand in 2013). Such considerable expansion in the population outside the labour
force, along with an increase in employment by 44.5 thousand persons, may explain the lower
unemployment figure compared to the level in 2013.
Table 2. Selected indicators of the labour force by sex, 2021
Male
Female
Total
Working-age population, aged 15+ (000)
403.6
405.8
809.3
Labour force (000)
148.9
98.1
247.0
By education (% distribution)
Less than primary or none
28.9
33.4
30.7
Completed primary
17.1
19.7
18.1
Completed secondary
36.9
30.3
34.3
Tertiary (first stage or completed)
17.0
16.5
16.8
Level not stated
0.0
0.1
0.0
Labour force participation rate (%)
36.9
24.2
30.5
Employment (000)
142.0
92.3
234.3
By economic activity (% distribution)
Agriculture, forestry and fishery
24.2
31.0
26.9
Industry
16.5
8.7
13.5
Services
59.0
59.3
59.1
Economic activity not classified
0.3
1.0
0.5
By status in employment (% distribution)
Employees
59.2
31.5
48.3
Employers
1.4
0.7
1.1
Own-account workers
26.6
48.0
35.1
Contributing family workers
12.7
19.2
15.3
Workers not classifiable by status
0.2
0.6
0.3
Labour underutilization (000)
48.9
46.0
94.9
Time-related underemployment
1.1
0.2
1.3
Unemployment
6.8
5.8
12.7
Potential labour force
40.9
40.0
80.9
Labour underutilization rate (%)
25.8
33.3
28.9
Time-related underemployment rate
0.8
0.2
0.6
Unemployment rate
4.6
5.9
5.1
Potential labour force rate
21.6
28.9
24.7
Source: Timor-Leste Labour Force Survey 2021.View entire presentation