The Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE), Ministry of Finance and Economy has conducted the Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2018 starting from 15 October to 11 November 2018.
The main objective of LFS 2018 was to collect latest information on the size, structure, distribution and characteristics of the labour force, employment, unemployment and other economic characteristics of the population, which will be used to assist in the planning, research, policy-making and management concerning the labour force in the country.
The survey covered about 3,200 selected households throughout the country using systematic sampling method. The data obtained from the selected households were exrapolated according to the sampling weights and then calibrated to represent the total population living in regular households in Brunei Darussalam. The LFS 2018 results showed that there was a total of about 86,500 households and 337,900 persons aged 15 years and over.
JPKE has released the Report of Summary Findings of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2018 based on the final data from the survey. Among the main findings included in the report are as follows:
- In 2018, the labour force participation rate increased to 65.4 per cent from 62.7 per cent in 2017. The rate for male was considerably higher at 72.7 per cent than that for female at 57.3 per cent.
- The total number of employed persons was 201,700 persons, comprising 118,800 males (58.9 per cent) and 82,900 females (41.1 percent).
- Out of the overall total number of employed persons, local workers accounted for the largest share of 72.0 per cent (145,200 persons), while 28.0 per cent (56,600 persons) were non-local workers.
- The distribution of employed persons by their employment status is as follows:
➢ Employees, comprising of 92.4 per cent (186,500 persons);
➢ Own-account workers at 4.3 per cent (8,800 persons);
➢ Employers 2.8 per cent (5,600 persons); and
➢ Family workers 0.5 per cent (900 persons).
- The total of 75,500 persons (37.4 per cent) employed in government sector and 126,200 persons (62.6 per cent) in the private sector.
- By type of economic activity, which consists of both government and private sectors, shows that the public administration contributed the largest share at 22.9 per cent (46,300 persons). This is followed by wholesale and retail trade 12.7 per cent (25,600 persons) and construction 10.2 per cent (20,600 persons).
- The distribution of the employed persons by occupation shows that:
➢ Service and sales workers accounted for the highest share of 23.9 per cent (48,200 persons);
➢ Workers in elementary occupation at 16.7 per cent (33,600 persons); and
➢ Professionals 16.5 per cent (33,200 persons).
- Out of the total employment, about 19,800 persons (9.8 per cent) were employed in the informal sector. The informal sector comprises of unregistered private business enterprises that did not keep record of accounts, including households operating a small business in their own private houses.
- The average monthly income from all work was BND 1,593 per employed person compared to BND 1,478 in 2017. The local workers earned a higher income of BND 1,751, while the non-local workers earned BND 1,189 per month on average.
- The total number of unemployed was around 19,200 persons. Out of the unemployed, there were about 9,600 youths aged 15 to 24 years.
- The unemployment rate in 2018 decreased to 8.7 per cent from 9.3 per cent in 2017.
JPKE would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the selected households in LFS 2018 for their cooperation throughout the survey period.
The Report of Summary Findings of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2018 is available from JPKE’s website. For any enquiries on this matter, please refer trio JPKE as follows:
Telephone : 2230265 or 2230250 (office hours)
E-mail : info.statistics@jpke.gov.bn
Website : www.depd.gov.bn.
