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Distribution of Employment by Broad Sector and Industrial Activity, 1986 - 1996 & 2000

Produced By: Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics
Category: Labour Demand
Date: 11/10/2006

Distribution of Employment by Broad Sector, 1986-1996 & 2000

The dualism of the employment situation has continued to be the defining factor in understanding the dynamics of the labour market. The formal sector of employment, comprised of government and private enterprises subject to regulations, expanded from 31.2% to 39.2% of total employment between 1986 and 1996, while the informal sector's share (excluding agriculture) remained stable at 16.8 and 16.7 per cent over this period. Reflecting the shift of population from rural to urban areas since 1986, employment in the money economy of agriculture dropped from 26.4 to 22.3 per cent, and in subsistence agricultural employment from 25.6 to 21.8 percent, between 1986 and 1996.

Economic Sector 1986 1996
No. Pct. No. Pct.
Formal Sector 80,000 31.2 110,081 39.2
Non-Agricultural
*Informal Sector		 43,115
43,446		 16.8 46,826 16.7
Money Economy Agriculture 67,726
67,695		 26.4 62,407 22.3
Subsistence Agriculture 65,506
*65,206		 25.6 61,191 21.8
Total 256,347 100.0 280,505 100.0

*Figures for Informal Sector Employment for 1986 and 1996 are residual
Sources:
Bureau of Statistics, Report on Fiji Population Census 1986, Vol. 3, Tables 1, 5 & 8[ with adjustment upward for females in subsistence agriculture] as noted in Table 2.2;
Bureau of Statistics, 1996 Fiji Census of Population and Housing, General Tables, Tables 33 & 48; and
Bureau of Statistics, Annual Employment Survey 1986 and 1996.

Distribution of Employment by Inustrial Activity, 1986-1996 & 2000.

In terms of distribution by industrial activity, the structure of Fiji's employment has been undergoing shifts typical of other developed countries. There has been an absolute shift out of agriculture towards manufacturing, but except for the business cycle-volatile construction sector and utilities, all other industrial activities also registered gains in employment over the 10 year period.

Industrial Activity 1986 1996 2000
No. No. No.
Agriculture, Forest & Fisheries 139,681 [1] 132,676 [2] 1,776
Mining & Quarrying 1,345 2,507 1,724
Manufacturing 18,106 29,043 28,536
Electricity & Water 2,154 2,107 2,603
Construction 11,786 10,639 2,749
Trade 19,134 22,063 22,097
Restaurants, Cafes, Hotels 6,876 10,112     -
Transport 13,151 16,722 11,318
Finance 2,996 3,900 5,709
Business Services 3,020 3,912    -
Government Administration Services 12,145 15,854    -
Education, Health and Other Social Services 14,786 17,627 39,294
Domestic, Repairs, & other services 9,688 11,139   -
Not Stated 1,479 2,204   -
Total 256,347 280,505 115,806

Source:
Bureau of Statistics, Report on Fiji Population Census 1986, Vol. 3, Table 5 [as adjusted];
Bureau of Statistics, 1996 Fiji Census of Population and Housing, General Tables, Table 48.
Note:
[1] Includes 33,376 subsistence sector women added to census total
[2] Includes subsistence activities

Bureau of Statistics, 2000 Annual Employment Survey Report, Pg 9.