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Tendai Mugabe and Paidamoyo Chipunza

The national average unemployment rate in Zimbabwe stabilised at 11 and 12 percent between 2002 and 2012, a recent analysis into 2002 and 2012 census results published by the Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (ZimStat) has revealed.According to the ZimStat report titled “Labour Force Characteristics Thematic report,” of the 7,7 million people of working age, 5,1 million were economically active in 2012 compared to 4,8 million in 2002.

The report, which is the first of its kind to be compiled by ZimStat further revealed that males continued to be more economically active compared to their female counterparts, with the former accounting for about 53 percent of the total number of people who were economically active.

Contrary to opposition political parties’ claims that the country’s unemployment rate is between 80 and 90 percent, the report revealed that 89 percent of the economically active age group were in employment in 2012 up from 88 percent in 2002.

Harare has remained the hub of economically active people in the country over the years, with the majority of them in small and medium informal businesses.

On the extreme, Matabeleland South Province remained with the smallest share in the total labour force of 5,1 million, accounting for 5,4 percent.

In absolute figures, a total of

1, 391 287 million people in Harare were economically active in contrast to 386, 461 from Matabeleland South province.

At national level, the unemployment problem was particularly pronounced for the young age groups in the range 15 -29 years.

These constituted about 84,2 percent and 90,7 percent of the unemployment persons in 2012 and 2002 respectively.

ZimStat director general Mr Mutasa Dzinotizei, said these statistics were vital for national planning in poverty alleviation programmes and national development.

“In preparing the labour force characteristics thematic report, ZimStat seeks to put at the disposal of planners, decision makers and development partners reliable data on labour force characteristics of the Zimbabwean population,” he said in his foreword.

Mr Dzinotizei said Government required a comprehensive and accurate labour market information to effectively tackle twin problems of poverty and unemployment.

“Large proportions of the population have remained jobless and the national average unemployment rate seemed to have stabilised in the range 11-12 percent during 2002-2012,” he said.

The focus of the Labour Force Characteristics Thematic report was to analyse data on economic activity of the population collected through the 2012 and 2002 census.