Timor-Leste Labour Force Survey 2021 - Summary Report
▶Timor-Leste Labour Force Survey 2021 - Summary Report
1
Oktober 2022
Timor-Leste Labour Force Survey 2021
Summary report
Key highlights
According to the results of the Labour Force
Survey, the working-age population aged 15
years and above in Timor-Leste in 2021 was
809.3 thousand, with slightly more women
(405.8 thousand) than men (403.6 thousand).
The labour force, constituting women
and men that were either employed or
unemployed, totalled 247 thousand. The
labour force participation rate was 30.5 per
cent overall, with a sharp disparity between
women (24.2 per cent) and men (36.9 per
cent).
In terms of the distribution of the labour force
by educational attainment, 30.7 per cent had
no formal education or had not completed
primary schooling. Conversely, 16.8 per cent
had at least some tertiary education.
In total, employment amounted to 234.3.
thousand, comprising of 142 thousand men
and 92.3 thousand women.
Nearly half (48.5 per cent) of all workers
were classified as wage employees, while
50.3 per cent were self-employed as either
an own-account worker or a contributing
family worker. Women compared to men
were more likely to be self-employed and
less likely to be in wage employment.
Unemployment totalled 12.7 thousand,
indicating a general unemployment rate of
5.1 per cent. Unemployment among female
jobseekers was higher (5.9 per cent) relative
to their male counterparts (4.6 per cent).
For young people aged 15-24 years, the
unemployment rate was significantly higher
at 9.6 per cent.
Table 1. Key indicators by sex, 2021
Male
Female
Total
Working-age population, aged 15+ (000)
403.6
405.8
809.4
Labour force (000)
148.9
98.1
247.0
Employment (000)
142.0
92.3
234.3
Unemployment
6.9
5.8
12.7
Outside labour force
254.7
307.7
562.4
Of which: Subsistence foodstuff producers
75.9
86.4
162.4
Manufacturing employment as a proportion
5.3
8.4
6.5
of total employment (%)
Labour force participation rate (%)
Unemployment rate (%)
36.9
24.2
30.5
4.6
5.9
5.1View entire presentation