Unemployment: 22.45m unemployed under Buhari’s regime- NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has said 22.45 million Nigerian in the labour force population are either unemployed or underemployed under President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

NBS in its unemployment/under‐employment report for fourth quarter 2015, noted that the figure increased by 8.4 per cent from 20.7 million and 19.5 million in third quarter and second quarter   of 2015 respectively.

According to NBS report, in fourth quarter of 2015, the eligible labour force population increased to 76.96 million from 75.94million in third quarter of 2015, representing an increase of 1.34per cent in the labour force during the quarter.

The report stated that 1.02 million persons in the economically active population entered the labour force are individuals that were able, willing and actively looking for work.

The report from NBS said, “This increase was the highest quarterly jump in the labour force population during the year 2015.

“However, within the reference period, the total number of person in full time employment (did any form of work for at least 40hours) decreased by 710,693 or 1.29 per cent when compared to the previous quarter, and but increased by 607,135 or 1.13per cent when compared to fourth quarter of 2014.

“With an economically active or working age population of 105.02 million and labour force population of 76.9million, this means 28.1million persons within the economically active or working age population decided not to work for one reason or the other in fourth quarter, hence were not part of the labour force and cannot be considered unemployed.”

Report from NBS noted that underemployment rate in the rural areas stood at 22.6 per cent as against 9.7 per cent urban dwellers in the fourth quarter.

NBS in its report explained that, “Given that the nature of rural jobs is largely in agriculture, which is seasonal in nature, unemployment is more of a concern in urban areas with 12.8per cent unemployment in urban area compared to 9.5per cent in the rural areas, as the preference is more for formal white collar jobs, which are located mostly in urban centres.”

NBS, however said unemployment is not just a Nigerian problem as International Labour Organisation (ILO) stated that 201 million people globally are unemployed and this may rise to 219 million by 2019.

The global breakdown shows that four per cent of the worlds unemployed are Nigerians.

According to NBS fourth quarter report, “with 8million Nigerians technically unemployed (not including the remaining 14.4million underemployed), this means four per cent of the worlds unemployed are Nigerians.

“If we add the number of underemployed in Nigeria (though other countries and the ILO methodology do not add this to unemployment and keep these numbers separate like we now do in Nigeria) in the interest of seeking full time and gainful employment for Nigerians, then Nigeria will represent about 14 per cent of global unemployment.

“The ILO has previously forecast a global unemployment rate of 5.9per cent this year and next, compared with 5.5per cent before the global financial crisis in 2007, implying that Nigeria’s fourth quarter unemployment rate of 10.4per cent (minus an additional 18.7per cent underemployment) is higher than the global average.

“The highest unemployment rate in the world as of latest reported in fourth quarter 2015 is recorded in Djibouti (54per cent), Congo(46per cent), Bosnia and Herzegovinian(42.9pe cent), Haiti (40.6per cent), Afghanistan (40per cent), Kenya (40per cent), Kosovo(35per cent), while the lowest are found in Qatar (0.2per cent), Cambodia (0.3per cent), Belarus(0.5per cent), Thailand(0.8per cent), Benin (one per cent), Madagascar (1.2per cent), Laos (1.40per cent) and Guinea Bissau(1.80per cent).

“Nigeria with an unemployment rate of 10.4per cent in fourth quarter 2015 has a better unemployment rate than reported in 66 countries but worse than 111 countries, including 23 African countries which have unemployment rates lower than 10.4per cent.

“If we add underemployment to unemployment and get a rate of 29.2per cent for fourth quarter 2015, then Nigeria has the 7th highest unemployment rate in the world (Important to note other countries don’t add underemployment) with only Kenya Congo and Djibouti with worse rates in Africa,” the report from NBS added.