Apr 10, 2012 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s unemployment fell to 4.2 percent in 2011 from 4.9 percent a year earlier with more people being employed in agriculture and industry, official data showed. The Central Bank quoting a survey by the statistics office said total unemployed fell to 342,000 from 401,000 a year earlier.
People working in industry rose to 1.915 million from 1.867 million with its share going up to 24.3 percent from 24.2 percent. Agriculture workers rose to 2,602 million from 2,502 million with the share growing to 32.9 percent from 32.7 percent.
Workers in services rose to 3.380 million from 3.32 million but its share fell to 42.8 percent from 43.1 percent.
State workers increased to 1.232 million from 1,219 million a year earlier. Sri Lanka has a bloated state sector. State workers made up 14.3 percent of the employed.
Private sector workers fell from 41.2 percent of the workforce to 40.4 percent, while the category of unpaid family workers rose to 11.0 percent from 10.4 percent.