New data shows that men continue to have greater access to employment opportunities in Namibia than women.
According to the 2023 Population and Housing Census Labour Force Report, released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) on Wednesday, 55% of employed individuals are men, while 45% are women.
Since the last survey in 2018, the total employed population has dropped by 178 937 people, from 725 742 to 546 805.
The unemployed population also decreased from 364 411 people in 2018 to 320 442 in 2023.
“The largest share of the employed population (21.8%) works in elementary occupations, a trend common across most Southern African Development Community countries. About 16.1% of the employed population is employed in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, 10% in wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, 9.8% in manufacturing, and 9.3% in administration and support service activities,” statistician general Alex Shimuafeni said.
Meanwhile, administrative and support services gained about 5.2% of the employed population, whereas agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and accommodation and food services lost above 6% of their workforce.
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