Labour Force Survey 2016 17

Report on
Labour Force Survey

(LFS) 2016-17
January 2018
Improving of Labour Statistics and Labour Market

Information System through Panel Survey (LMIS) Project
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

Published by:
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics with technical support from the World Bank
First Published – January 2018
ISBN: 978-984-519-110-4
Cover Design:
Core Team, LMIS Project, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
Compose and Format:

Core Team, LMIS Project, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
For further information about this book or other statistics

Please visit: www.bbs.gov.bd
Contact: [email protected], [email protected]
Price- 700.00 (BDT)
Printed by:
RDP Section, FA & MIS, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Dhaka, Bangladesh
This book or any portion thereof cannot be copied, microfilmed or reproduced for any commercial purpose.
Data therein can, however, be used and published with acknowledgement of the source.
Minister
Ministry of Planning
Government of the People's Republic of
Bangladesh
Message
Iam very pleased to note that Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) is going to release the results of the
Labour Force Survey (LFS) with quarterly and annual estimates of the key indicators of the labour market
for the second consecutive year. The survey is a household-based sample survey and represents another
milestone in the statistical system of the country.
The labour force of Bangladesh is that part of the human resources that actually contributes or is available
to contribute to the producing goods and providing services in the country. The report presents the annual
statistics on the characteristics of labour force, unemployment and the structure of employment at national
and divisional level obtained from Quarterly Labour Force Survey.
These statistics provide input for labour market analysis, policy formulation as well as planning,
implementing and monitoring programmes related to human resource development. These statistics are
essential for monitoring employment and labour market developments in the country. I hope that the report
will be useful to all data users, particularly planners and policy makers.
I like to extend my deep appreciation to all concerned of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for their hard
work in the quarterly labour force survey activities.
Dhaka
January 2018 AHM Mustafa Kamal, FCA, MP
State Minister
Ministry of Finance
and
Government of the People's Republic of
Bangladesh
Message
I am pleased to know that the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS)continue implementation of the Quar-
terly Labour Force Survey from July 2015, to generate labour market indicators in a more frequent manner
to monitor the labour market situation of the country. This survey is one of the core strategic surveys of
BBS.
The report entitled “Labour Force Survey 2016-17, Bangladesh” is presented containing detailed informa-
tion on the characteristics of the labour force, employment, unemployment, outside labour force, youth
employment and unemployment, working hours, occupational injuries and various forms of non-economic
activities. The most important aspect of this report is that the report has provided estimates for each quarter
separately as well as annual estimates of the key labour market indicators.
Technical assistance from the World Bank is highly acknowledged for developing the complex sampling
design. This complex sampling design follows a rotational panel structureand is expected to provide infor-
mation on the labour market transition over time.
I believe this report will help policy makers, planners and executives of the Government and NGOs for
monitoring the change in the labour force and employment situation in the country.
Dhaka
January 2018 M.A. Mannan, MP
Secretary in charge
Statistics and Informatics Division (SID)
Government of the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh
Foreword
The report Labour Force Survey, Bangladesh 2016-17 presents statistics on the characteristics of labour
force, unemployment and the structure of employment of the country obtained fromQuarterly Labour Force
Survey (QLFS)conducted by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
This report provides detailed statistics on labour force, employment, unemployment,non-economic

activity,various forms of work, working time statistics, time-related underemployment, labour underutiliza-
tion, employment in the informal sector and informal employmentfor monitoring labour market develop-
ments in the country. It is hoped that this report meets users’ need for comprehensive and up-to-date labour
force statistics.
In the past, information on labour force characteristics, employment and unemployment etc. were collected
through labour force surveys conducted with the interval of 4-5 years. However, the employment and unem-
ployment data are required at very short intervals to monitor the programs implemented in the employment
generating policies of the government. Therefore, to satisfy the need of the time, the BBSinitiatedthe labour
force survey on a quarterly basis since July 2015, to measure the levels and trends of employment, unem-
ployment and labour force in the country on a continuous basis.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Mr. Md.Amir Hossain, Director General of Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics and Mr. Kabir Uddin Ahmed, Project Director of LMIS Project of BBS for their contribu-
tions and hard work.
All suggestions towards improving the future series of this report are highly appreciated.
Dhaka
January 2018 Saurendra Nath Chakrabhartty
Director General
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
Statistics and Informatics Division
Preface
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) hasinitiatedthe labour force survey on a quarterly basis, to measure
the levels and trends of employment, unemployment and labour force in the country on a continuous
basis.In the past, labour force surveys conducted at four-five yearly time intervals since 1980. The report
Labour Force Survey 2016-17 presents annual estimates as well as quarterly estimates of labour statistics
and key indicators of the labour market of the country for the survey period July 2016 to June 2017.
Detailed information on labour force characteristics has been collected from representative sample of 123
thousand households to produce gender disaggregated national and divisional level estimates with
urban/rural/city corporation breakdown. The Survey also provides quarterly representative results and
sample size for each quarter was 30,816 households. The Survey, along with the quantification of core
variables, also estimates important attributes of literacy, migration, own use production of goods and own
use provision of services, volunteer work, occupational safety and health etc.
The estimates are profiled according to latest classifications viz Bangladesh Standard Industrial
Classification (BSIC 2009 based on ISIC rev-4) and Bangladesh Standard Classification of Occupations
(BSCO- 2012 in line with ISCO-2008).
I would like to extend my sincere thanks tothe World Bank, Mr. Kabir Uddin Ahmed, Project Director, LMIS
Project, Core team members, members of the Technical Committee and Working Group who worked hard
for preparing the report. The response rate throughout the survey is quite encouraging and I would like to
thank those who responded to the survey, without their cooperation this survey would not be a success.
I hope the data published in this report will be useful to the planners, policy makers, researchers and other
stakeholders to formulate evidence based policy for the development of the labour market in the country.
Suggestions and comments will highly be appreciated for future improvement of the labour statistics in
Bangladesh.
Dhaka
January 2018 Md. Amir Hossain
Country Director
Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal
The World Bank
Message
The Labour Force Survey is a very important initiative that the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has
undertaken since 1980. With technical assistance from the World Bank, BBS initiated its quarterly collection
of labour market data in 2015/16. This shift in the frequency of labour market data collection from every five
years to every quarter was an important milestone reached as part of the National Strategy for the
Development of Statistics (NSDS).
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) 2016/17 continues to make important contribution to the
collection and dissemination of labour force data, providing critical and up-to-date inputs for a wide range
of policy level work, including labour policies and programmes for employment generation. The QLFS
report presents quarterly labour statistics over 2016/17 on household and population characteristics, and
education and training. It also provides details of economic activities including those in the informal sector
with key focus on youth, unemployment, earnings, working hours, quality of employment and social
security, working conditions and so on.
The report describes various labour market outcomes in comparison with previous results where possible,
to present trends in key indicators. The report also highlights the spatial, gender and age dimensions, which
are useful to understand the diverse opportunities and challenges faced by different populations, and their
changes over time.
Thus, the report provides valuable information to better understand the labour market conditions in
Bangladesh.
Undertaking nationwide data collection on labour statistics every three months is a major accomplishment
for BBS. I would like to commend BBS for this effort, and offer congratulations to the Statistics and
Informatics Division and BBS for their second QLFS annual report. I look forward to continuing our
collaboration with BBS to support further strengthening of its capacity for quality data collection and to
conduct policy-relevant analyses.
Dhaka
January 2018 Qimiao Fan
Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to express my profound regards and deep sense of gratitude to the Secretary,
Statistics and Informatics Division (SID) and the Director General, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS)
who have suggested numerous improvements to the Labour Force Survey 2016-17 with quarterly
estimates. Their experience of varying backgrounds, interest in and knowledge of the subject, helped to
shape the text and numbers into its final form. The LFS 2016-17report is the second of its kind to release
quarterly estimates of LMI indicators. The first ever Quarterly LFS report was released in May 2017.
Special thanks to the members of the Technical Committee and the Project Implementation Committee for
their valuable inputs and guidelines in proper implementation of the survey.Mr. Md. Akther Hossain, Deputy
Director,Mr. Lizen Shah Nayeem, Deputy Director, Mr. Salim Sarkar,Deputy Director, Ms. SalwaAkther,
Statistical Officer and Mr. Abu Naser, Statistical Investigator deserve commendable thanks who worked
hard with me in analyzing complex survey data. I owe a great debt to the members of the editorial
committee of BBS and SID who edited the manuscript to finalize the report. I am very grateful to the
stakeholders who have provided their comments and suggestions for the improvement of the report.
Mr. Juan Munoz and Mr. Ramiro, short-term International Consultants of the World Bank, deserve special
thanks for developing the complex rotational panel sample design and their technical inputs throughout.
Despite extending every effort to bring an error-free text and numbers,to overcome the first ever
challengesof quarterly estimates, some errors may find their way into the survey report. We will be grateful
to the users to send their comments or suggestions to improve this report in the future.
Kabir Uddin Ahmed

Dhaka Project Director of LMIS Project
January 2018 Director, Industry and Labour Wing, BBS
Contents
Pages
Key findings of the survey xi

Executive summary of the survey xv
Chapter 1. Introduction 01-06
1.1 Background 03
1.2 Objectives of the survey 04
1.3 Classifications used for labour statistics 04
Chapter 2. Survey methodology 07-22
2.1 Scope and coverage 09
2.2 Survey organization 09
2.3 The sample frame 09
2.4 Sample size determination 10
2.5 Data collection 14
2.6 Data processing 15
2.7 Training of survey personnel 15
2.8 Questionnaire 15
2.9 Concepts and definitions 16
Chapter 3. Population and household characteristics 23-31
3.1 Population characteristics 25
3.2 Dependency ratio 26
3.3 Female headed household and household size 27
3.4 Population by marital status 28
3.5 Tenure of dwelling houses by area 28
3.6 Households by sources of lighting 28
3.7 Households by type of fuel used for cooking 29
3.8 Households by toilet facility 30
3.9 Households by sources of drinking water 30
Chapter 4. Education and training 31-36
4.1 Literacy profile of the working age population 33
4.2 Education profile of the working age population 34
4.3 Vocational training of the working age population 35
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Pages
Chapter 5. Economic activities and the labour force 37-44

5.1 Working-age population 39
5.2 Economic activity 40
5.3 Labour force participation rate 41
5.4 Trends of labour force 43
Chapter 6. Employment 45-56
6.1 Employment by age group sex and area 47
6.2 Employment by occupation and industry 48
6.3 Employment by literacy status & education attainment 51
6.4 Employed population by status in employment 54
6.5 Employed population by ownership 55
6.6 Trends of employed persons by sex and year 56
Chapter 7. Informal employment 57-64
7.1 Informal employment by sex and area 59
7.2 Informal employment by economic sectors & occupations 62
7.3 Formal employment by education attainment 63
7.4 Trends of informal employment rate 64
Chapter 8. Unemployment 65-76
8.1 Unemployment 67
8.2 Unemployment by age group & sex 68
8.3 Unemployment rate 70
8.4 Unemployment rate by age group 70
8.5 Unemployment rate by level of education 71
8.6 Unemployment rate by literacy status 72
8.7 Unemployment persons by mode of looking for job 73
8.8 Reason for not looking for job 74
8.9 Trends of Unemployment rate by sex 75
Chapter 9. Youth employment and unemployment 77-82
9.1 Youth labour force participation 79
9.2 Youth employment by age group 80
9.3 Youth unemployment by age group 80
9.4 Youth unemployment rate 81
9.5 Unemployment youth by duration of unemployment 82
9.6 Youth not in education, employment or training (NEET) 83
Chapter 10. Earnings from employment 87-90
10.1 Frequency of payment of the paid employees 87
10.2 Average monthly income by occupation and industry 88
10.3 Average monthly income by age group and sex 89
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Pages
Chapter 11. Working hours and time-related underemployment 91-102

11.1 Working hours 93
11.2 Excessive hours of work 96
11.3 Time-related underemployment 99
Chapter 12. Quality and stability of employment and social security 103-112
coverage
12.1 Quality and stability of employment 105
12.2 Social security 108
12.3 Precarious work (seasonal, occasional and substitute) 110
Chapter 13. Social Security 113-120
13.1 Occupational injuries and illnesses 115
13.2 Frequency of injuries 117
13.3 Type of hazardous work 118
Chapter 14. Equal opportunities 121-126
14.1 Occupational segregation of the employed persons 123
14.2 Female share of employment in high-status occupations 124
14.3 Female share in employment by major occupation 125
14.4 Share of female in wage employment 126
Chapter 15. Forms of Work 127-144
15.1 Forms of work 129
15.2 Own use production work (production of goods and provision of services) 130
15.3 Employment work 135
15.4 Unpaid trainee/apprentice work 137
15.5 Volunteer work 139
Chapter 16. Labour underutilization 145-152
16.1 Labour underutilization 147
16.2 Time-related underemployment 149
16.3 Unemployment 150
16.4 Potential labour force 151
16.5 Labour underutilization by type 152
Chapter 17. Labour Migration 153-160
17.1 Distribution of migrant and non-migrant persons 155
17.2 Labour force participation rate of migrants and non-migrants 160
17.3 Unemployment rate of migrants and non-migrants 160
Annexes 161-264
Annex I: Statistical tables 163
Annex II: Standard errors of main aggregates 255
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Acronyms
Acronym Description
BBS Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics
BSCO Bangladesh Standard Classification of Occupations
BSIC Bangladesh Standard Industrial Classification
EA Enumeration Area
ICLS International Conference of Labour Statisticians
ILO International Labour Organization
IPEC International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
ISCO International Standard Classification of Occupations
ISIC International Standard Industrial Classification
LMI Labour Market Information
MS Master Sample
NEET Not in Employment, Education and Training
NGO Non-Government Organization
NSO National Statistical Organization
PSU Primary Sampling Unit
SNA System of National Accounts
SID Statistics and Informatics Division
WB The World Bank
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List of Tables
Title of table Pages
Table S1: Total population of the country, by quarter, sex and area 163
Table S2: Total working age population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area 163
Table S3: Total labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area 163
Table S4: Total Labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex 163
Table S5: Not in Labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex 164
Table S6: Employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex 164
Table S7: Employed population aged 15 years or older, by quarter and sector 164
Table S8: Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex 165
Table S9: Total Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area 165
Table S10: Total Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by division, sex and quarter 165
Table S11: Not in labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area 166
Table S12: Distribution of the population, by sex and quarter 166
Table S13: Total working age population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area 166
Table S16: Total Employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area 167
Table S17: Distribution of employment by age group and quarter 168
Table S18: Distribution of employment by sex and quarter 168
Table S19: Distribution of employment by occupation and quarter 168
Table S20: Distribution of employed persons by status in employment and quarter 169
Table S21: Distribution of labour force status by quarter 169
Table S22: Distribution of labour force status by quarter and locality 169
Table S23: Distribution of labour force by quarter and locality 169
Table S24: Distribution of Not in labour force by quarter and locality 170
Table S25: Distribution of employed population by quarter and locality 170
Table S26: Distribution of unemployed population by quarter and locality 170
Table S27: Distribution of labour force by quarter and sex 170
Table S28: Distribution of Not in labour force by quarter and sex 171
Table S29: Distribution of employed population by quarter and sex 171
Table S30: Distribution of unemployed population by quarter and sex 171
Table S31: Distribution of employed population by quarter and sector 171
Table S32: Distribution of employed population by quarter and industry 172
Table S33: Distribution of distribution of employed persons by 172
Table S34: Distribution of employed persons by quarter, sector and informality 173
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List of Tables
Table S35: Not in labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, division, sex and area 173
Table S36: Employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter and economic sector 173
Table S37: Total employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area 174
Table S38: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sex and quarter 174
Table S39: Employed aged 15 or over, by age group, sex and area 175
Table S40: Employed aged 15 or older, by age group and Quarter and sex 176
Table S41: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by division, area, sex and quarter, 2015-16 176
Table S42: Distribution of Informal employment by quarter, sex and area 177
Table S43: Labour under-utilization of the country, by quarter, sex and area 177
Table S45: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation, sex and area 179
Table S46: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and sector of employment 179
Table S47: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sector and locality 180
Table S48: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and locality 180
Table S49: Employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, sex and area 181
Table S50: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sector, sex and area 181
Table S51: Employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, and economic sectors 181
Table S52: Employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, and economic sectors 182
Table S53: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation, sex and area 182
Table S54: Employed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area 183
Table S55: Employed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area 183
Table S56: Employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, sex and area 183
Table S57: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation and education level 184
Table S58: Employed population aged 15 or older, by industry and education level 184
Table S59: Employed population aged 15 or older, by status in employment, sex and area 185
Table S60: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation and status in employment 185
Table S61: Employed population aged 15 or older, by industry and status in employment 186
Table S62: Employed population aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area 187
Table S64: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and sector of employment 188
Table S65: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and status in employment 189
Table S66: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sector and locality 189
Table S68: Working age population, labour force, employed, unemployed, not in labour force aged 15 or 191
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List of Tables
older, by broad age group, sex and area(in 000)
older, by broad age group, sex and area
Table S78: Employed population aged 15 or older, by formal/informal sector, economic sector and area 199
Table S79: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by broad economic sector, sex, and area 199
Table S80: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area 200
Table S81: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by age group area and sex 200
Table S82: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by age group area and sex 201
Table S83: Formal employment aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area 201
Table S84: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by division, area and sex 202
Table S85: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by Occupations, sector of employment and sex 203
Table S86: formal/informal employed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area 204
Table S87: Informal employment as % of total employment aged 15 or older, by industry, and sex 205
Table S88: Formal/informal employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, sex and area 206
Table S89: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by Occupations, sector of employment and sex 206
Table S90: Unemployed rate aged 15 or older, by broad age group, sex and area 207
Table S91: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by division, area and sex 207
Table S92: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by quarter, and sex 207
Table S93: Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by broad age group, sex and area 207
Table S94: Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area 208
Table S95: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by education attainment, area and sex 208
Table S96 Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by literacy, area and sex 208
Table S98: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by broad age group, locality and sex 209
Table S100: Mode of looking for job of unemployed aged 15 or older, by area and sex 211
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List of Tables
Table S101: Not looking for job aged 15 or older, by reason, area and sex 212
Table S102: Youth aged 15-29 unemployment rate, by age group, sex and area 213
Table S103: Youth aged 15-29 unemployment rate, by education level, sex and area 213
Table S104: Unemployed youth aged 15–29, by duration in unemployment, sex and area 213
Table S105: Unemployed youth aged 15–29, by duration in unemployment, and education 214
Table S106: NEET by broad age group, sex and quarters of population aged 15 years and over 215
Table S107: NEET by division area and sex of population aged 15 years and over 215
Table S108: Youth aged 15-24 not in employment and not currently in education or training, by age group, 216
sex and area (in 000)
Table S109: Youth 15-24 NEET, by completed education level, sex and area 216
Table S110: Youth 18-35 NEET, by completed education level, sex and area 117
Table S111: Youth aged 15-24 NEET, by age group, sex and area 117
Table S112: Youth aged 15-29 NEET, by age group, sex and area 117
Table S113: Labour force participation rate (LFPR)aged 15 or older, by broad age group, sex and area 218
Table S119: Labour force participation rate (LFPR), by broad age group, sex and area 221
Table S122: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by broad age group, sex and 222
Table S123: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by education, area and sex 223
Table S124: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by education attainment, area and sex 224
Table S125: Unemployment rate by age group, migrant/non-migrant and sex 224
Table S126: Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total employment aged 15 or 225
older, by age group, sex and area
Table S127: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use provision of services in the previous 1 week, by 226
labour force status, sex and area
Table S128: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1 week, by labour force 228
status, sex and area (in 000)
Table S129: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 230
1 week, by education, sex and area
1 week, by labour force status, sex and area
1 week, by age group, sex and area
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List of Tables
Table S132: Distribution of persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1 week, 231
by literacy, sex and area
Table S133: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 month, by labour force 232
status, sex and area
Table S134: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 233
month, by labour force status, sex and area
Table S135: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 233
month, by age group, sex and area
Table S136: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by labour force 234
Table S137: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by age group sex 234
and area
Table S138: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by education, 235
sex and area
Table S139: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by type, labour 237
force status, sex and area
Table S140: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by type, age 238
group, sex and area
Table S141: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by hours range, 241
Table S142: Hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, 241
by hours band, sex and area
Table S143: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by age group, 241
sex and area
Table S144: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by education, 242
sex and area
Table 145: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by hours range, 242
sex and area
Table S147: Discouraged job seekers of the country, by age group, sex and area 243
Table S148: Time related underemployed of the country, by age group, sex and area 244
Table S149: Potential labour force of the country, by age group, sex and area 244
Table S150: Unemployed population of the country, by age group, sex and area 244
Table S151: Labour under-utilization of the country, by education attainment, sex and 245
Table S152: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, sex and area 245
Table S153: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, and economic sector 246
Table S154: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, sector, sex and area 246
Table S155: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, sector, sex and area 246
Table S156: Occupational segregation (aged 15 or older), by sex and area 247
Table S157: Female share of employment aged 15 or older in high-status occupations, by broad sector 248
Table S158: Female share in employment of persons aged 15 or older, by major occupational group and 248
area
Table S159: Share of women in wage employment of persons aged 15 or older in the non-agriculture sector, 249
by area
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List of Tables
Table S160: Share of women in wage employment of persons aged 15 or older in the non-agriculture sector, 248
by area
Table S161: Distribution of employed persons aged 15 or older, by BSIC at 2-digit level, sex and area 250
Table S162: Persons aged 15 or older, by working age population, labour force status, division and sex 253
Table S163: Persons aged 15 or older, by working age population, labour force status, sex and stratum 254
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Key Findings
Labour Force Survey 2016-17
2015-16 2016-17
Indicators / 2010 2013
Sl
Estimates Year Year Year Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
1 Labour Force (million)

Bangladesh
Total 56.7 60.7 62.1 61.4 61.9 62.7 62.5 63.5 62.8 63.7 64.1 63.4
Male 39.5 42.5 43.1 43.1 43.0 42.9 43.2 43.5 43.0 43.6 43.9 43.6
Female 17.2 18.2 19.1 18.3 19.0 19.8 19.2 20.0 19.8 20.1 20.2 19.8
Urban
Total 13.3 17.1 17.3 17.1 17.4 17.2 17.5 17.9 17.6 18.2 17.8 17.6
Male 9.3 12.0 12.5 12.4 12.6 12.5 12.5 12.9 12.7 12.8 12.8 12.8
Female 4.0 5.1 4.8 4.7 4.8 4.7 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.3 5.0 4.8
Rural
Total 43.4 43.5 44.8 44.3 44.6 45.5 45.0 45.7 45.2 45.6 46.2 45.8
Male 30.2 30.5 30.6 30.7 30.4 30.4 30.8 30.7 30.3 30.8 31.0 30.8
Female 13.2 13.1 14.3 13.6 14.2 15.1 14.2 15.0 14.9 14.8 15.2 15.0
2 Employed population (million)
Bangladesh
Total 54.1 58.1 59.5 58.7 59.3 60.1 60.0 60.8 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7
Male 37.9 41.2 41.8 41.7 41.6 41.7 42.0 42.2 41.9 42.2 42.5 42.2
Female 16.2 16.8 17.8 17.0 17.7 18.4 18.0 18.6 18.5 18.9 18.7 18.5
Urban
Total 12.4 16.2 16.5 16.3 16.5 16.6 16.8 16.9 16.7 17.4 17.0 16.8
Male 8.8 11.6 12.1 12.0 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.4 12.3 12.4 12.4 12.4
Female 3.6 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.7 4.6 4.4 5.0 4.5 4.4
Rural
Total 41.7 41.9 43.0 42.4 42.9 43.5 43.2 43.9 43.7 43.7 44.2 43.9
Male 29.1 29.6 29.7 29.7 29.5 29.5 29.9 29.8 29.6 29.8 30.1 29.8
Female 12.6 12.3 13.3 12.7 13.3 14.0 13.3 14.1 14.2 13.9 14.2 14.1
3 Unemployed population (million)
Bangladesh
Total 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.7 2.4 2.7 2.9 2.7
Male 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4
Female 1.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.3
Urban
Total 0.9 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.8
Male 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Female 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4
Rural
Total 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.7 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.4 1.9 2.0 1.9
Male 1.1 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.7 1.0 1.0 1.0
Female 0.6 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.8 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.9 1.0 0.9
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2015-16 2016-17
Indicators / 2010 2013
Sl
Estimates Year Year Year Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Rural
Total 9.9 9.9 8.3 8.2 8.7 8.2 8.1 7.7 7.4 7.9 7.7 7.8
Male 6.3 5.7 5.8 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.9 5.3 5.2 5.4 5.4 5.3
Female 3.6 4.2 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.5
12 Female labour force (million) 15+
Total 17.2 18.2 19.1 18.3 19.0 19.8 19.2 20.0 19.8 20.1 20.2 19.8
Rural 13.2 13.1 14.3 13.6 14.2 15.1 14.2 15.0 14.9 14.8 15.2 15.0
Urban 4.0 5.1 4.8 4.7 4.8 4.7 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.3 5.0 4.8
13 Female labour force participation rate (%)
Total 36.0 33.5 35.6 33.9 35.5 37.0 36.0 36.3 36.2 36.7 36.5 36.0
Rural 36.4 33.7 37.6 35.6 37.5 39.7 37.6 38.6 38.4 38.3 38.9 38.5
Urban 34.5 32.9 30.8 29.9 30.7 30.3 32.3 31.0 30.7 32.8 30.8 29.8
14 Employment by informality (million)
Total 47.3 50.8 52.3 51.3 49.4 51.2 52.4 51.7 51.9 51.4 52.3 51.4
Male 32.4 35.6 35.1 34.4 33.5 34.2 34.7 34.6 34.3 34.5 35.0 34.7
Female 14.9 15.2 17.2 16.9 15.9 17.0 17.7 17.1 17.6 17.0 17.3 16.7
15 Employment by informality (Rate)
Total 87.5 87.4 86.2 84.2 86.3 87.2 87.2 85.1 85.9 84.3 85.4 84.6
Male 85.5 86.3 82.3 80.3 82.2 83.3 83.5 82.1 81.9 81.7 82.4 82.3
Female 92.3 90.3 95.4 93.7 95.9 96.0 95.8 91.8 94.9 90.1 92.4 90.0
16 Status in employment (million)
Total 54.1 58.1 59.5 58.7 59.3 60.1 60.0 60.8 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7
Employer 0.1 0.5 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.7 2.7 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.9
Own account
22.0 23.6 25.7 26.6 26.2 24.8 25.4 26.8 26.1 27.6 26.2 27.1
worker
Contributing
11.8 10.6 8.6 7.3 9.0 9.6 8.5 7.2 7.6 6.8 7.4 6.9
family helper
Employee 20.0 22.5 23.3 22.9 22.2 23.9 24.2 23.8 23.9 23.5 24.4 23.3
Others 1.4 0.9 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4
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Executive Summary
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has been conducting the
Source of Labour Statistics: first ever Quarterly Labour Force Survey since July 2015 under
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a development project. This was a transition of BBS from
the prime source of labour statistics, periodic LFS to quarterly survey. BBS continue its journey in
world of work and up-to-date labour releasing quarterly estimates and Labour Force Survey (LFS)
market information in Bangladesh.
It promotes measuring national
2016-17 is the second release of its kind. The survey on labour
progress towards the SDG targets force collected information on various aspects of people’s
“Full and productive employment economic activity and provided labour market statistics relating
and decent work” for all. to employment, unemployment and underemployment and
many other aspects of people’s working lives at the national and
divisional level with urban and rural breakdown.
During the survey period the country’s total estimated

Labour force: population was 161.3 million, of which 80.3 million were
The labour force is the sum of
persons in employment plus persons female. According to the findings, about 109.1 million persons,
in unemployment. Together, these representing 67.6 per cent of population, were aged 15 or older,
two groups of the population
represent the current supply of
of whom 55.0 million (50.4 per cent) were female. The total
labour for the production of goods population aged 15 or older living in urban areas reached 32.0
and services taking place. million (70.7 per cent). In rural areas, the total population aged
15 or older was 77.1 million (29.3 per cent).
The survey findings place the labour force participation rate of

Labour force participation rate (LFPR): the population aged 15 or older at 58.2 per cent, at 80.5 per cent
The LFPR is a measure of the
proportion of a country’s working-age male and 36.3 per cent for females. The participation rate of the
population that engages actively in the population aged 15 or older by area was slightly higher in rural
labour market, either by working or by
looking for work. It plays a central role areas (59.3 per cent) than in urban areas (55.7 per cent), leaving
in the study of the factors that 41.8 per cent of the population aged 15 or older outside the
determines the size and composition of
future supply of labour. labour force.
An estimated 60.8 million of the population aged 15 or older was

employed. By occupation, skilled agriculture workers accounted
Employment: for the largest share of the total employed population, at 32.4 per
Employed comprises all persons
older than 15 years who, during a
cent. About 17.2 per cent employed in elementary occupations,
specified period (7 days prior to the followed by 17.0 per cent were employed in craft and related
survey) was involved at least for 1 trades workers, 16.5 per cent in Service and Sales workers, 6.8
hour, in any form of work for wage per cent in Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers.
or salary, profit or family gain and
including the production of goods
for own consumption. Gender gap By industry, the largest proportion of the employed population
persists in the characteristics of the was engaged in agriculture, at 40.6 per cent, followed by 14.4 in
employment, status in employment, manufacturing, and 14.2 per cent in wholesale and retail trade.
under-utilization, with women
By main industrial sector, agriculture employed 40.6 per cent of
generally worse than men.
the employed persons, followed by service, at 39.0 per cent, with
the smallest proportion in the industry sector, at 20.4 per cent.
One third (31.9 per cent) of the employed population had not
had any formal education. More than 15.7 million employed
workers (25.8 per cent) had completed some or primary
education, while more than 18.7 million workers (30.8 per cent)
had completed secondary education.
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The survey found about 85.1 per cent of the total employed
Informal employment: persons aged 15 or older in informal employment, while only
The informal economy plays a 14.9 per cent were in formal employment; According to the
major role in employment creation,
findings, informal employment incidence was highest in
income generation and production
in many countries. In countries with Agriculture sector (95.4 per cent of the total employment in that
high rates of population growth or sector), Industry sector (89.9 per cent of total employment in
urbanization, the informal economy that sector) and service sector (71.8 per cent of total employment
tends to absorb most of the growth
in that sector). The findings also show with no level of
in the labour force.
education, a large number of employed persons in the informal
employment at 94.4 per cent and only at 5.6 per cent in the
formal employment. By age group, 89.2 per cent of the youths
aged 15-29 engaged in the informal employment, and it is 83.0
per cent of the adults aged 30-64 in the informal employment.
In rural areas, 88.0 per cent of the employed are in informal

sector employment whereas it was 77.3 per cent in urban areas.
In rural areas, 93.3 per cent of the females are in informal sector
employment whereas it was 87.4 per cent in urban areas. At the
national level, only 8.2 per cent females engaged in formal
employment and it was 17.9 per cent for the male counterparts.
The survey found an estimated 2.7 million persons aged 15 or

Unemployment rate (UR): older who were unemployed. By sex, the number of unemployed
The unemployment rate tells us the
proportion of the labour force that does not
males was 1.4 million, compared with 1.3 million unemployed
have a job, is available to work and is females. A total of 0.9 million persons in urban areas and 1.8
actively looking for work. The UR signals
million persons in rural areas were unemployed. The survey
to some extent the underutilization of the
labour supply findings place the unemployment rate at 4.2 per cent, which was
3.1 for males and 6.7 for females. By area, more urban-based
persons were unemployed, at 4.9 per cent, than rural-based
persons, at 4.0 per cent.
More than 20.1 million youth aged 15-29 participated in the

Youth labour force: labour force, with a number of male (13.1 million) and female
Youth unemployment is an (7.0 million) youth among them. Their proportion within the
important policy issue for many
countries at all stages of total labour force represented 31.6 per cent. The youth labour
development. For the purpose of force proportion was higher in urban areas, at 34.5 per cent, than
this indicator, the term “youth”
covers persons aged 15−29. Young in the rural areas, at 30.5 per cent. An estimated 17.9 million of
adults are increasingly attaining them (29.5 per cent of total employed) were employed, with
secondary and tertiary education in
comparison with previous
large difference in numbers between male youth (at 12.0
generations. million) and female youth (at 5.9 million). A total of 2.1 million
of them (79.6 per cent of total unemployed) were unemployed,
with almost same in numbers between male youth (at 1.1
million) and female youth (at 1.1 million).
Status in employment: The largest share of the employed population (44.3 per cent)
Indicators of status in employment
distinguish between the two main
worked as own-account workers, followed by (39.1 per cent) as
categories of the employed: (1) employees and contributing family workers (11.5 per cent).
employees and (2) the self- Between the sexes by largest share, there were more males in all
employed. Categorization by
employment status can help in categories except among contributing family workers, where
understanding both the dynamics of there were more than three times employed females (5.3 million)
the labour market and the level of
development. than employed males (1.7 million).
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Of all employed persons who worked less than 40 hours in a
Time-related underemployment: week in the country in 2016-17, an estimated 1.5 million
Time-related underemployment employed persons (2.4 per cent) were looking for new/additional
(TRU) exists when the hours of work
of an employed person are
jobs. Among the underemployed persons, 0.9 million were
insufficient in relation to an employed male (2.2 per cent) and 0.5 were employed female
alternative employment situation in (2.9 per cent). And the majority of them lived in rural areas, at
which the person is willing and 1.2 million persons (2.6 per cent), compared with 0.3 million
available to engage.
persons (1.9 per cent) in urban areas.
The survey findings show that of the estimated 24.2 million paid
Earnings from employment: employees, 56.7 per cent were paid on monthly basis, 34.5 per
The concept of earnings for work relates cent on daily basis, 7.3 per cent on weekly basis and only 1.5 per
to amounts of money in cash or its
equivalent (if payment is in kind) that is
cent on some other basis. The reported average monthly
received by persons during a period of earnings of paid employees were Taka 13,258. The average
time as a result of their participation in
monthly earnings for male paid employees was Taka 13,583,
economic activities. The survey covers
income related to paid which was slightly higher than what the female paid employees
employment, is the most earned, at Taka 12,254. Gender wage gap exists in the country
comprehensive measure of the level and in some occupations, such as craft and related trade workers,
of remuneration of workers in paid
elementary occupations and agriculture workers, the difference
employment.
in earnings between the sexes and rural-urban was wider.
In urban areas, managers earned the highest average monthly

earnings among the occupational groups, at Taka 35,734,
followed by professionals, at Tk. 26278. In rural areas, managers
earned the highest average monthly earnings, at Tk. 25,117,
followed by other occupations, at Tk. 24361.
The average hours worked per week was 48 hours, with male
Hours worked per week: workers reporting longer hours of work per week, at 52 hours,
The number of hours worked has an
impact on the health and well-being then their counterpart female, at 38 hours per week. The average
of workers as well as on levels of working hours per week were fewer in rural areas (46 hours)
productivity and labour costs of
establishments.
than in urban areas (53 hours). Both sexes in the urban areas
worked more hours than in the rural areas. By industry the
highest average of hours worked per week was for
Transportation and Accommodation and food service activities
(58 hours), followed by Wholesale and retail trade sector (57
hours), Manufacturing at 55 hours per week on average.
The survey found that around half (49.8 per cent) of the 30.3
million employed persons worked more than 48 hours per week.
By sex, the proportion of male workers working more than 48
hours (63.5 per cent) was much higher than that of female
workers (18.7 per cent).
It is evident from the survey that the number of females were

Underutilization: more underutilized, both in rural and urban areas. By largest
Labour underutilization refers to share, there were a total of 6.6 million working age population
mismatches between labour supply
was underutilized, more females, (3.5 million or) than males (3.1
and demand, which translate into an
unmet need for employment among million) of the working age population. The underutilized
the population. population decreased from 7.1 million in 2015-16 to 6.6 million
in 2016-17.
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In terms of the distribution of the employed population by broad
Employment by sector: economic sector, the largest proportion was in agriculture, at
This indicator disaggregates 40.6 per cent, followed by 39.0 percent in services and 20.4 per
employment into three broad sectors
– agriculture, industry and services. cent in industry sector.
Sectoral employment flows are an
important factor in the analysis of
productivity trends, because within- In rural areas, the largest proportion was in agriculture, at 51.7
sector productivity growth needs to per cent, followed by 31.3 percent in services and 17.0 per cent
be distinguished from growth
resulting from shifts from lower to
in industry sector. More than half (58.8 per cent) employed
higher productivity sectors. persons worked in the service sector in urban areas while
agriculture is more prominent in rural areas (51.7 per cent)
Overall, 29.8 per cent of the working age population aged 15-29
NEET: were not in education, employment or training (NEET). Among
The percentage of the population of the NEET youths, 13.0 per cent of them were male and the rest
15-29 age group and sex who is not
employed and not involved in 87.0 per cent female.
further education or training.
Because they are neither improving A high NEET proportion for young women suggests their
their future employability through
investment in skills nor gaining engagement in household chores, and/or the presence of
experience through employment, institutional barriers limiting female participation in labour
NEETs may be particularly at risk
of both labour market and social
markets.
exclusion.
According to the survey findings, the largest share of female

Equal opportunities: employment was in services and sales (30.3 per cent), followed
by skilled agriculture work (23.6 per cent), elementary
Equality provide tools to eliminate
dis-crimination in all aspects of the
occupations (14 per cent) and machine operations (13 .9 per
workplace and in society as a whole. cent).
They also provide the basis upon
which gender mainstreaming
strategies can be applied in the field The majority of persons reporting any occupational injury or
of labour. illness said they lost one day (25.8 per cent), followed by those
reporting a loss of two days (18.8 per cent). The average number
of working days lost due to a work-related injury or illness was
Safety of work:
Occupational safety and health 2.2 days.
provide essential tools for
governments, employers, and workers The larger proportions in cited exposure to dangerous tools (6.9
to establish such practices and to
provide for maximum safety at work. per cent), followed by Chemicals/explosives (4.0 per cent),
Dust, fumes, noise or vibration (4.0 per cent).
Vulnerable employment: An estimated 55.8 per cent of all employed persons in 2016-17
The sum of the employment status were own-account or contributing family workers (in vulnerable
groups of own-account workers and
contributing family workers. They
employment). Almost half of the employed males (50.1 per cent)
are less likely to have formal work. and nearly seven of every ten employed females (67.7 per cent)
arrangements, and are therefore were in vulnerable employment.
more likely to lack decent working
conditions. It is often characterized
by inadequate earnings, low
productivity and difficult conditions
of work.
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Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background
Bangladesh continues to grow and integrate further with the global economy, and that’s why the
access to decent and productive work remains one of the most viable means of poverty reduction.
Despite of major achievements, there are lingering and emerging policy challenges confronting the
country that will influence the achievement of its decent work goals. As the working-age population
expands in the coming years, the pressure on the labour market to provide quality jobs will also rise.
Addressing deficits in both the quantity and quality of jobs therefore remains a major policy
challenge for Bangladesh. In general, several noteworthy trends emerged from the past decade in
labour market - growth reduced poverty rates, even though unemployment rates are low and falling.
This raises concerns about the quality of jobs, especially with such a large proportion of workers in
vulnerable employment. The projected population trends indicate a rise in the adult working-age
population, which is likely to add to the challenge of creating decent work opportunities for an
expanding labour force.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the National Statistical Organization (NSO) of the country,
has been conducting Labour Force Survey (LFS) since 1980 and continue it every three/four year
until 2013. BBS has started implementation of quarterly labour force survey (LFS) to provide labour
market indicators from July 2015 under a development project. The LFS 2016-17 report is the second
annual report with quarterly breakdown of the estimates. Gender disaggregated data on labour force,
employment, unemployment, underemployment, not in labour force, hours worked, earnings,
informal employment. non-economic activities, volunteer activities are available in this report.
Relevant sex and age-specific labour market information is provided in this report for informed
decision-making and setting up an effective labour market information system. Additional efforts
are taken to boost the information base and to achieve more robust and detailed labour and social
trends analysis and monitoring, which will in turn provide a more credible basis for labour market
policy formulation.
The survey report has provided a complete picture of labour statistics as well as the following key
Indicators of labour market:
 Labour force participation rate
 Employment-to-population ratio
 Status in employment
 Employment by sector
 Employment by occupation
 Hours of work
 Employment in the informal economy
 Unemployment and youth unemployment
 Not in labour force
 Educational attainment
 Average monthly wages
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1.2 Objectives of the survey
The primary objective of the survey was to collect comprehensive data on the labour force,
employment and unemployment of the population aged 15 or older for use by the Government,
international organizations, NGOs, researchers and others to efficiently provide targeted
interventions. Specific objectives of the survey:
 Provide relevant information regarding the characteristics of the population and household
that relate to housing, household size, female-headed households etc.
 Provide detailed information on education and training, such as literacy, educational
attainment and vocational training.
 Provide relevant information on economic activities and the labour force regarding the
working-age population, economic activity status and labour force participation.
 Provide detailed information on employment and informal employment by occupation and
industry, education level and status in employment.
 Provide relevant information on unemployment, the youth labour force participation,
youth employment, and youth unemployment.
 Provide other information on decent work regarding earnings from employment, working
hours and time-related underemployment, quality and stability of employment, social
security coverage, and safety at work, equal opportunities etc.
 Provide relevant information on non-economic activities, volunteer activities etc.
1.3 Classifications used for labour statistics

Specific subpopulations are generally of more interest to policy-makers than the whole population.
Classifications of units are therefore generally part of a statistical framework. It is unlikely that small
subpopulations will be sufficiently well represented in a sample survey to enable reliable estimates.
It will therefore be difficult to obtain indicators for these subpopulations from sample surveys unless
they are specifically designed to cover them. Classifications of labour statistics are made in this
report based on sex, age, highest education level attained, labour force status and occupation and
industry.
Age coverage:
Age is a strong determinant of labour market so a common age cut-off and categories are important.
The labour related questions of the survey refer to the population of 15 years old and over.
The following age ranges is used in presenting the statistics: 15–24; 25–34; 35–44; 45–54; 55–64;
and 65 and over. Besides, LMI is provided separately for youths as the youths are more prone to
unstable transition to labour market.
However, in setting the minimum LFS coverage age is the fact that the Government of
Bangladesh, being aware that many young people, who are unable to continue with higher
schooling, enter the labour market instead, has set the legal age for admission to employment at
14 completed years. Given that, inclusion of persons aged 15 years and over may result in the
undercount of persons employed or unemployed in the country.
Sex:
Sex (male or female) of every individual is recorded, as sex disaggregation of data is a fundamental
requirement for gender statistics and in particular for the analysis of the gender gap in the access to
the labour market. For policy purposes, all core indicators are broken down by sex, in order to
maximize information on any gender gap.
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Education classification:
Refers to persons who have never attended school in any of the educational institutions that provide
formal education. Education classification used to match the following aggregated level is used:
 None and never attended school
 Primary
 Secondary
 Higher Secondary
 Tertiary
 Others (don't know level completed)
 Refers to the highest level in which a person has completed schooling or is currently
attending, in a public or private educational institution that provides formal education
Marital status:
Unmarried/Never married
Refers to those who have never been married at the time of interview.
Married
Refers to persons who are currently married at the time of interview. The term, ‘married’
includes those married by law or by religious rites.
Widowed
Refers to those who have not remarried after the death of the spouses at the time of interview.
Divorced/ separated
Refers to those whose marriages were annulled through divorce by law or religious
arrangement or separated for a long duration without any possibility of reconciliation.
Labour force status:

Categories for labour force status used to break down labour market indicators at the individual level
are based on the following categories:
• Employed
• Unemployed
• Not in the labour force.
Occupation classifications:
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) developed the Bangladesh Standard Classification of
Occupations 2012 (BSCO-2012) on International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08)
as the national occupational classification code guide for national use and international
comparability. The indicator for employment by occupation comprises statistics on jobs classified
according to major groups as defined in the Bangladesh Standard Classification of Occupations
(BSCO). The most recent version of the Bangladesh Standard classification of Occupations,
distinguishes the following 10 major groups:
(1) Managers;
(2) Professionals;
(3) Technicians and associate professionals;
(4) Clerical support workers;
(5) Service and sales workers;
(6) Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries workers;
(7) Craft and related trade workers;
(8) Plant and machine operators and assemblers;
(9) Elementary occupations; and
(10) Others occupations.
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Industry classification of economic activities:
Bangladesh Standard Industrial Classification (BSIC) is used for classifying all economic activities.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has developed BSIC based on International Standard
Industrial Classification (ISIC) rev-4 and Bangladesh context for national use and international
comparability. The results of the QLFS survey provided information at the section level. The section
refers to very broad structure of the economy as well as economic activities such as Agriculture,
forestry and fishing which is denoted by an alphabet. The individual categories of BSIC have been
divided into 21 sections (A to U).
The indicator for employment by sector divides employment into three broad groupings of economic
activity: Agriculture, Industry and Services. Because users may be interested in analyzing trends in
employment in greater sectoral detail, detailed break-downs of employment by sector as defined by
the Bangladesh Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (BSIC). The most
recent version of the International Standard Industrial Classification, ISIC rev-4, distinguishes 21
major groups as follows:
1. A "Agriculture, forestry and fishing "
2. B "Mining and quarrying"
3. C "Manufacturing"
4. D "Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply"
5. E "Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities"
6. F "Construction"
7. G "Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles"
8. H "Transportation and storage"
9. I "Accommodation and food service activities (Hotel and restaurants)"
10. J "Information and communication"
11. K "Financial and insurance activities"
12. L "Real estate activities"
13. M "Professional, scientific and technical activities"
14. N "Administrative and support service activities"
15. O "Public administration and defense, compulsory social security"
16. P "Education"
17. Q "Human health and social work activities"
18. R "Arts, entertainment and recreation"
19. S "Other service activities"
20. T "Activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods and services producing
activities of households for own use services-producing activities of households for own use"
21. U "Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies"
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Chapter 2
Survey methodology
This chapter describes the methodology used in the Labour Force Survey. It explains the scope and
coverage of the survey, sampling design, concepts and definitions, field operations, data processing
and limitations.
2.1 Scope and coverage

The Labour Force Survey 2016-17 was conducted Quarterly to provide reliable estimates of the
labour force population at the geographic division level with rural-urban breakdown. The labour
force component covered the population aged 15 or older living in the sample households to obtain
estimates on many variables, particularly in relation to the economic and non-economic activities of
the population aged 15 or older in the labour force. The survey involved a sample of 30816
households from 1284 PSUs/sample enumeration areas distributed across all the 64 Districts for
each quarter and the ultimate sample households for the year 2016-17 was 123000 in total. The
survey covered both urban and rural areas and dwelling households, including one-person
households. The institutional households, that is, those living in hostels, hotels, hospitals, old homes,
military and police barracks, prisons, welfare homes and other institutions were excluded from the
coverage of the survey.
2.2 Survey organization

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the NSO of Bangladesh served as the implementing agency
and as such played a primary role in the planning, survey execution and analysis, and report
preparation. As the implementing agency, the Bureau undertook the responsibilities for operational
matters; including planning and conducting fieldwork and processing of collected data and finally
prepares the report. The day-to-day technical operations of the survey including identification and
training of field and data processing staffs, and the supervision of the office and field operations
were fully undertaken under the supervision of BBS and Statistics and Informatics Division (SID).
The World Bank has contributed a lot in developing the sample design for the first ever Rotational
Panel Sample Design and development of the Questionnaire in Bangladesh.
2.3 The sample frame

The frame used for the selection of sample for the survey was based on the Population and Housing
Census 2011. Sampling Frame which was made up of preparing of PSUs that is consists of collapsing
one or more Enumeration Area (EAs) that was created for the Population and Housing Census 2011.
EAs is geographical contiguous areas of land with identifiable boundaries. On average, each PSUs
has 225 households. All the Enumeration areas of the country was identified into three segments viz.
Strong, Semi-strong and not-strong based on the housing materials. The frame has 1284 PSUs/EAs
spread all over the country, and covers all socio-economic classes and hence able to get a suitable
and representative sample of the population. The survey was distributed into twenty-one domains
viz. Rural, Urban and City corporations of seven administrative divisions.
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From each selected PSUs/EAs, an equal number of 24 households were selected systematically, with
a random start. The systematic sampling method was adopted as it enables the distribution of the
sample across the cluster evenly and yields good estimates for the population parameters. Selection
of the households was done at the HQ and assigned to the Enumerators, with strictly no allowance
for replacement of non-responding households.
The Bangladesh Quarterly Labor Force Survey (QLFS) sample will be selected in two stages, with
small area units called Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) in the first stage and a cluster of 24
households per PSU in the second stage. Both stages are random selections. The survey will
implement a rotational panel strategy, in which some of the households in each cluster will be
replaced by new households each quarter.
The survey administered with a total sample about 123 thousand households, intended to deliver
reliable quarterly estimates of unemployment and other relevant labor force indicators for of the
country’s seven divisions and locality viz. national level estimates with disaggregation by City
Corporations, Rural and Urban.
2.4 Sample size determination

The number of households’ n needed to estimate an individual-level prevalence P with a margin of
error E at the confidence level α is given by
where Deff is the design effect, due to stratification and clustering, c is the average number of
relevant individuals per household, and tα is the normal deviate corresponding to the confidence
level α.
The earlier LFS 2013 reported an unemployment rate of 4.2%, with a design effect of 1.77 and an
average of 1.92 persons in the labor force per household. Using these figures as referential
parameters, the number of households needed to estimate this indicator with a margin of error of 1%
at the 95% confidence level is
1.77 1.96 0.042 1 0.042
1,400
1.92 0.01
which implies that a total sample of around 29,400 households would be needed to achieve the
required precision in all 21 estimation domains. Since these domains have very unequal populations
– ranging from less than half a million in the smaller city corporations to nearly 30 million in rural
Dhaka – the distribution of the sample into such domains should arbitrate between doing it equitably
(which would deliver estimates of similar precision for all of them) and doing it proportionally
(which would deliver nearly optimal estimates for Bangladesh as a whole). Consistently with the
criterion used by the BBS for the 2013 QLFS, the new survey will do it on the basis of Kish’s
allocation, which is generally considered the best compromise between these two extremes: the
sample will be thus distributed in proportion to the factors 1⁄ 1⁄ , where H is the number
of strata (24 in this case) and Nh (1 ≤ h ≤ H) are the number of households reported by the 2011
census in each domain.
In addition to the above theoretic considerations, the QLFS sampling design needs to account for
two practical constrains imposed by fieldwork management:
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 First, the total sample size obviously needs to be a multiple of the cluster size (24
households).
 Second, since the survey will be fielded by dedicated interviewers, each responsible for
visiting 12 PSUs per quarter (one per week), to make an efficient use of human resources,
and to keep all interviewers working within zila boundaries, the number of PSUs per zila
should be a multiple of 12.
This in turn implies that, in addition to the ten city corporations, the rural and urban portions of all
64 zilas should become de facto sampling strata.
Table 1 below presents the number of households in the country, as per the 2011 Census; the sample
size of the QLFS, and the expected margins of error for the quarterly estimation of unemployment
by analytic domain. The margin of error for the estimation of quarterly unemployment is expected
to be 0.26% for Bangladesh as a whole, and to vary between 0.5% and 1.5% in the targeted analytic
domains.1
Table 1: Number of households, sample sizes and expected margins of error

2011 Census 2015 LFS 2015 LFS
Divisions and City Number of Households Sample Size (No. of HHs) Expected Margin of Error
Corporations City City City
Rural Urban Rural Urban Rural Urban
Corps Corps Corps
Barisal Barisal 1,558,121 226,222 70,798 1,080 792 720 1.15% 1.34% 1.41%
Chittagong 540,849 816
Chittagong 4,085,699 764,552 2,568 1,248 0.74% 1.07% 1.04%
Comilla 187,132 840
Dhaka 1,468,123 1,032
Dhaka Gazipur 4,085,699 1,653,821 435,176 4,320 1,440 888 0.57% 0.99% 0.84%
Narayanganj 305,484 672
Khulna Khulna 3,065,156 502,523 152,051 2,112 1,056 864 0.82% 1.16% 1.28%
Rajshahi Rajshahi 3,708,332 666,061 96,718 2,256 1,008 768 0.79% 1.19% 1.36%
Rangpur Rangpur 3,329,786 414,493 62,415 2,088 936 720 0.83% 1.23% 1.41%
Sylhet Sylhet 1,507,385 178,417 93,309 1,104 816 672 1.13% 1.32% 1.45%
Total Bangladesh 31,846,908 30,816 0.26%
In anticipation of its future expansion, the QLFS sample will be selected as a subset of a larger
sample of 87,000 households (3,612 PSUs), intended to deliver quarterly zila-level estimates with
margins of error of about 1% – ranging from 0.5% (in Dhaka) to 1.3% in the smaller zilas – and
national quarterly estimates with a margin of error of 0.13%.
Sample frames
Most BBS household surveys use a two-stage sampling strategy similar to that of the QLFS, and
most of them share a common set of PSUs – the Integrated Multi-Purpose Sample (IMPS) – as a
basis for their first sampling stage. However, the QLFS, given the specificities of its rotational
strategy, has opted for choosing an independent set of PSUs for this purpose.
The first stage sample frame of the QLFS was developed on the basis of the list of Enumeration
Areas (EAs) generated by the 2011 Census. Some of the original 293,093 EAs were deemed too
small to support the adopted rotational panel strategy, and were joined to neighboring EAs in order
to create 146,576 PSUs of more adequate size: most of the resulting PSUs have between 150 and
1 The errors will be even smaller for annual estimates, as well as for the estimation of quarter-to-quarter differences, but
improvements are hard to predict at this moment, without previous experience with panel labor force surveys in
Bangladesh.
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300 households, with an average of 217. Whenever possible, the EAs with less than 150 households
were appended to EAs from the same village, although in the most sparsely populated areas it was
sometimes necessary to append entire villages to neighboring villages within the same mauza or
mahalla (the lower level administrative division of the country.)2 Entire mauzas or mahallas were
never appended to neighboring areas, even if they were too small – they remained as individual
PSUs in the sample frame.
The second stage sample frame will be a full listing of all households in the selected PSUs. The
listings were completed between February and March 2015. If the survey indeed becomes a regular
exercise, they should be permanently updated so that they are never older than two years.
First sampling stage

Using the 24 analytic domains as pre-strata, a nominal sample of 1,200 PSUs was distributed with
Kish’s allocation, and then imposed the additional constrain of having integer multiples of 12 PSUs
in each of the country’s 64 zilas, considering that each interviewer is expected to visit 12 PSUs per
quarter. This resulted in an effective total sample of 1,284 PSUs, allocated into 138 explicit strata
(the 10 city corporations plus the rural and urban portions of each of the country’s 64 zilas). It will
mobilize 107 interviewers.
Within each stratum, the sample was selected with probability proportional to size (PPS), using as a
measure of size the number of households reported by the 2011 census, and with implicit
stratification by socio-economic level3 in city corporations, followed by the lower administrative
subdivisions (upazila / thana, union / ward, and mauza / mahalla, in this order) in all strata.4 The
EAs previously selected by the BBS for its Integrated Multi-Purpose Sample (IMPS) were not
excluded from this selection.
Outsized PSUs
Very few of the small mauzas or mahallas that remained as individual PSUs in the sample frame
after the EA aggregation process were actually selected as PSUs for the QLFS. They were appended
to neighboring PSUs using a carefully conceived and well documented rule, to ensure that the
selection probabilities of the aggregates can be calculated unambiguously.
102 of the 1,284 PSUs chosen in the first sampling stage had more than 350 households and were
considered too large to be listed entirely. These were segmented whenever possible into smaller
units. Since 97 of them had actually resulted from appending EAs smaller than 150 households to
neighboring EAs (see Section Sample Frames above), this could be done automatically by simply
2
Although the census cartography is not geo-referenced, the process of appending EAs to neighboring EAs, and villages
to neighboring villages could be conducted automatically, because the census attributed the EA and Village codes
based on a serpentine pattern. EAs and villages with consecutive numbers could thus be reliable assumed to be
territorial neighbors.
3 The dominant building type of the PSU (solid, semi-solid or other) was used for this purpose as proxy for its socio-
economic level.
4 In practice, the expanded sample of 3,612 PSUs was allocated into strata and selected with PPS first, and then the 2015
QLFS sample was selected from it by systematic, equal probability sampling within each stratum. This is formally
equivalent to selecting the 2015 QLFS sample with PPS directly, and facilitates the calculation of exact selection
probabilities.
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choosing one of the EAs randomly with PPS.5 The other five large PSUs were each composed of a
single EA and could not be automatically segmented in this way.
Second sampling stage and rotational scheme

All households listed in each PSU will be randomly divided into blocks, each composed of 6
households, and the blocks will be labeled with the letters A, B, C, etc. The QLFS will visit 4 blocks
(24 households) each quarter, according to the 2-(2)-2 rotational scheme shown below:
Quarter 01 (July-September 2015): Blocks A B - - E F

Quarter 02 (October-December 2015): Blocks G B C - - F
Quarter 03 (January-March 2016): Blocks G H C D - -
Quarter 04 (April-June 2016): Blocks - H I D E -
Quarter 05 (July-September 2016): Blocks - - I J E F
Quarter 06 (October-December 2016): Blocks G - - J K F
Quarter 07 (January-March 2017): Blocks G H - - K L
Quarter 08 (April-June 2017): Blocks M H I - - L
In this way, each block will be visited in two consecutive quarters, left to rest for the next two
quarters, revisited for another two quarters, and then dropped (perhaps to be reinstated some years
later, if the survey runs out of households in the PSU). After the first few quarters of operation, the
survey will, at any given time, revisit one half of the households visited the previous quarter, and
one half of the households visited in the same season a year before. Apart from its clear analytic
benefits, this rotational scheme is intended to substantially improve the precision of quarter-to-
quarter and year-to-year variation measurements.6
The specific technique used to randomly split the PSU into blocks depends on local circumstances.
In most zilas, each block is a systematic, equal-probability sample of all households listed, as shown
in the pattern below, where the letters represent the six households in each block:
ABCD……ABCD……ABCD……ABCD……ABCD……ABCD……
However, in Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangmati – three hilly districts of the Chittagong
division, characterized by the sparse distribution of their population – the blocks are instead cluster
samples of the PSU, intended to reduce the travel of the interviewers, as shown in the pattern below:
AAAAAABBBBBBCCCCCCDDDDDD……
The household lists from all 1,284 PSUs have been computerized to facilitate the randomization
process and the overall management of the sample. The full database contains information from
nearly 300,000 households.
5 Although this is in fact an additional sampling stage, it is formally equivalent to considering each of the EAs of the large
PSUs as individual PSUs, and it does not require any changes in the formulas for the selection probabilities and sampling
weights.
6 If the survey were to visit independent samples each quarter, the standard error of the difference between any two
quarterly measures would be approximately √2 times the error of each measure. For instance, the standard error for the
variation of unemployment between two consecutive quarters at the national level would be 0.36% (1.4 x 0.26%).
However, with the rotational scheme adopted by the QLFS, the error will be much smaller (possibly less than 0.10%),
as a result of the correlation of the employment status of individuals between quarters.
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Estimation – Selection probabilities and sampling weights
With the sampling strategy described here, the probability phij of selecting household hij in PSU hi
of stratum h in any given quarter is given by7
∑
where
kh is the number of PSUs selected in stratum h,
nhi is the total number of households in PSU hi, as reported by the 2011 Census,
n’hi is the total number of households in PSU hi, as reported by the QLFS household listing
operation, and
mhi is the number of households visited in PSU hi (normatively always 24).
To obtain unbiased estimators from the sample, the data reported for the household should be
affected by a sampling weight (or raising factor) whij, equal to the inverse of its selection probability
(whij=1/phij). If nhi and n’hi were equal in all PSUs, the formula would simplify to a constant and the
sample would be self-weighted within each stratum. In practice, nhi and n’hi will rarely by equal but
often similar, so the sample will not be exactly self-weighted, but quite approximately so.
As the quarterly survey started from July 2015, survey base weights were post-adjusted to estimate
total population of July 2015 for the first quarter and and kept same for the successive three quarters
of the QLFS 2015-16. Similarly, survey base weights were post-adjusted to estimate total population
of July 2016 for the QLFS 2016-17. However, post-adjusted survey base weights to estimate total
population of January 2017 for the QLFS 2016-17 is also available in the microdata.
2.5 Data collection

To aid in identification and access to the household, letters of introduction highlighting survey
objectives and identification badges were provided to the Enumerators. Enumerators were advised
to visit the households to introduce themselves prior to administer the Questionnaire. Supervising
officer also sometimes went for courtesy calls to the Households. It took the Enumerators
approximately 30-40 minutes to administer the questionnaire depending on the size of the household.
Most of the teams managed to collect the data within the stipulated timeframe. Data collection was
carried out using personal interview approach. Officers from BBS and outsourcing Enumerators who
were involved in this survey were given special training. They visited selected households (HH) to
collect information on demography, labour force, non-economic activities using a set of
questionnaires. Field checks were undertaken by experienced officers from the BBS & SID to detect
and rectify any invalid information occurred during interview session. In addition, follow-up/re-
interviews of certain selected households was done to ensure the quality of data collected.
7 The two factors on the right-hand side of the equation represent the probability of selecting the PSU, and the conditional
probability of selecting the household in the PSU.
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2.6 Data processing
Initial manual editing and coding of industry and occupation classification was done in the BBS
headquarters by the selected editors and coders. The supervising officers further checked the
questionnaires and validated the data randomly sampled edited questionnaires. Data was captured
using Census and Survey Processing System (CSPro) through a data entry screen specially created
and incorporated with checks to ensure accuracy during data entry. Erroneous entries and potential
outliers were then verified and corrected appropriately. A total of 12 data entry personnel were
engaged during the exercise. Weights were developed to account for the selection probabilities. The
weights were developed using the design weights of the PSUs. The non-response adjustment and
urban-rural calibration was also used. The captured data were exported to STATA format for
cleaning and analysis. The cleaned data was weighted before final analysis.
2.7 Training of survey personnel

To properly conduct the nationwide survey, intensive training programmes were arranged for the
survey supervisors and enumerators as well as the survey coordinators. In total, 107 enumerators,
among them 94 females and 84 supervising officers, were involved and received seven days of
training on data collection. The training consisted of five days for training, one day for field testing
and one day for reviewing. The training covered instructions in general interviewing techniques,
field procedures (including sample selection), a detailed discussion of items on the questionnaire
and practice interviews in the field.
2.8 Questionnaire
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey 2015-16 questionnaire comprised 14 sections, as follows:
Section 1. Household basic information
Section 2. Household roster (members’ basic information)
Section 3. General education (for persons aged 5 years or older) & vocational training (for
persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 4. Working status (for persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 5. Main activities (for persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 6. Secondary activities (for employed persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 7. Occupational safety and health within the previous 12 months (for persons aged 15
years or older)
Section 8. Underemployment (for employed persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 9. Unemployment (for not employed persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 10. Own use production of goods (for persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 11. Own use provision of services (for persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 12. Unpaid trainee/apprentice work (for persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 13. Volunteer work (for persons aged 15 years or older)
Section 14. Migration (for persons aged 15 years or older)
**The survey questionnaire is included in Annex III.
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2.9 Concepts and definitions
Household
A “household” is defined as a person or group of persons who live together in the same house or
compound who share the same housekeeping arrangements and who are catered for as one unit.
Members of a household are not necessarily related to each other, either by blood or marriage.
Conversely, members who live together in the same house or compound and are related by blood or
marriage do not necessarily belong to the same household. To be considered a household member,
an individual must reside with the other household members in the dwelling for a substantial part of
the year (e.g., six-month criterion) and must not be a member of any other household.
Labour force participation rate

The labour force participation rate is a measure of the proportion of a country’s working-age
population that engages actively in the labour market, either by working or looking for work. It
provides an indication of the size of the supply of labour available to engage in the production of
goods and services, relative to the population at working age. The breakdown of the labour force by
sex and age group gives a profile of the distribution of the economically active population within a
country.
The working-age population is the population above the legal working age – often aged 15 and older.
The labour force participation rate is defined as the ratio of the labour force to the working- age
population, expressed as a percentage. The labour force is the sum of the number of persons
employed and the number of persons unemployed. Thus, the measurement of the labour force
participation rate requires the measurement of both employment and unemployment.
The labour force participation rate is related by definition to other indicators of the labour market.
The inactivity rate is equal to 100 minus the labour force participation rate, when the participation
rate is expressed as a number between 0 and 100.
The labour force participation rate indicator plays a central role in the study of the factors that
determine the size and composition of a country’s human resources and in making projections of the
future supply of labour. The information is also used to formulate employment policies, to determine
training needs and to calculate the expected working lives of the male and female populations and
the rates of accession to, and retirement from, economic activity – crucial information for the
financial planning of social security systems.
The indicator is also used for understanding the labour market behavior of different categories of the
population. The level and pattern of labour force participation depends on employment opportunities
and the demand for income, which may differ from one category of persons to another.
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Economic activity
The concept of “economic activity” adopted by the thirteenth International Conference of Labour
Statisticians (13th ICLS) in 1982 for measuring the economically active population is defined in
terms of the production of goods and services as set forth by the System of National Accounts (SNA).
The 13th ICLS Resolution specifies that “the economically active population comprises all persons
of either sex who furnish the supply of labour for the production of economic goods and services,
as defined by the United Nations system of national accounts, during a specified time-reference
period.” Thus, persons are to be considered economically active if, and only if, they contribute to or
are available to contribute to the production of goods and services falling within the SNA production
boundary. The use of a definition of economic activity based on the SNA serves to ensure that the
concepts used in employment and production statistics are consistent, thus facilitating the joint
analysis of the two bodies of data.
Labour Force
Current economic activity is measured in relation to a short reference period (generally one week).
The economically active population includes both employed and unemployed persons. The currently
active population is also known as the “Labour Force”. The economically active population
comprises all persons of either sex who supply their labour for the production of goods and services
during a specified time reference period. According to the 1993 version of the System of National
Accounts, production includes all individual or collective goods or services that are supplied to units
other than their producers, or intended to be so supplied, including the production of goods or
services used in the process of producing such goods or services; the production of all goods that
are retained by their producers for their own final use; the production of housing services by owner-
occupiers and of domestic and personal services produced by paid domestic staff.
“Labour force” refers to persons 15 years or older who contribute or are available to contribute to
the production of goods and services in the country. They are either employed or unemployed during
the reference week prior to the survey.
Current economic activity

The word “current” means during the week prior to a survey or the most recent week. This is
sometimes also called the “reference week”. Thus, if an interview takes place on a Wednesday, the
reference week will start from Tuesday the previous day and work backwards seven days. Because
a survey is spread over several weeks, the reference week may be different for different households,
depending on when they are interviewed. It is therefore essential that each informant clearly
understands the seven-day reference period to which the “past week” refers. Current economic
activities were covered in the questionnaire sections on current activity, characteristics of the main
job or activity, characteristics of the secondary job or activity, hours of work, underemployment and
job search.
Employment by occupation
The indicator for employment by occupation comprises statistics on jobs classified according to
major groups as defined in the Bangladesh Standard Classification of Occupations (BSCO). The
most recent version of the International Standard of Occupation, ISCO-08, distinguishes 10 major
groups: (1) Managers; (2) Professionals; (3) Technicians and associate professionals; (4) Clerical
support workers; (5) Service and sales workers; (6) Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries
workers; (7) Craft and related trade workers; (8) Plant and machine operators and assemblers; (9)
Elementary occupations; and (10) Others occupations.
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Employment
The ILO definition of employment provides separate criteria for persons in paid employment and
persons in self-employment in order to accommodate the idea that employment covers any work, be
it for wage or salary, profit or family gain and including the production of goods for own
consumption. The "employed" comprises all persons older than a specified age who, during a
specified brief period, either one week, were in one of the following categories:
(a) paid employment
i. at work – persons who during the reference period performed some work for wage or salary,
in cash or in kind;
ii. with a job but not at work – persons who, having already worked in their present job, were
temporarily not at work during the reference period but had a formal attachment to their job.
(b) self-employment
i at work – persons who during the reference period performed some work for profit or family
gain, in cash or in kind;
ii with an enterprise but not at work – persons working with an enterprise, which may be a
business enterprise, a farm or a service undertaking, who were temporarily not at work
during the reference period for any specific reason.
For operational purposes, the notion "some work" may be interpreted as work for at least one hour.
Unpaid family workers at work should be considered as in self-employment, irrespective of the
number of hours worked during the reference period. Apprentices who receive pay in cash or in kind
should be considered in paid employment and classified as "at work" or "not at work" on the same
basis as other persons in paid employment. Members of the armed forces should be included among
persons in paid employment. They should include both the regular and temporary members.
Unemployment
The international standard definition of unemployment is based on the following three criteria,
which should be satisfied simultaneously: "without work", "currently available for work" and
"seeking work". The "unemployed" comprise all persons older than a specified age who during the
reference period were:
(a) without work – not in paid employment nor self-employed;
(b) currently available for work – available for paid employment or self-employment during the
reference period (one week); and
(c) seeking work – had taken specific steps in a specified reference period (one month) to seek
paid employment or self-employment.
Youth unemployment
Youth unemployment is widely viewed as an important policy issue for many countries, regardless
of their stage of development. For the purpose of this indicator, the term “youth” covers persons
aged 15 to 24 years and “adult” refers to persons aged 25 years and over. This report considers the
term “youth” covers persons aged 15 to 24 years and “adult” refers to persons aged 25 years and
over. Sometimes, the term “youth” covers persons aged 15 to 29 years and “adult” refers to persons
aged 30 years and over. The “Department of Youth, Bangladesh” is defined youth as persons aged
18 to 35 years and some basic statistics is provided in this report for their own use following this
age group.
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Informal sector
The informal sector consists of unregistered and/or small unincorporated private enterprises engaged
in the production of goods or services for sale or barter. The enterprises typically operate on a small
scale at a low level of organization, with little or no division between labour and capital as factors
of production. Labour relations are based mostly on casual employment, kinship or personal and
social relations. An unincorporated enterprise is a production unit that is not constituted as a separate
legal entity independently of the individual (or group of individuals) who owns it and for which no
complete set of accounts is kept. Employment in the informal sector refers to the total number of
jobs in informal sector enterprises. For practical reasons, the concept is measured as the number of
persons employed in informal sector enterprises in their main job.
The informal sector represents an important part of the economy, and certainly of the labour market,
in many countries and plays a major role in employment creation, production and income generation.
Informal employment
Informal employment, which encompasses all the jobs included in the concept of employment in the
informal sector (except those that are classified as formal jobs in informal sector enterprises), refers
to those jobs that generally lack basic social or legal protections or employment benefits and may
be found in formal sector enterprises, informal sector enterprises or households.
Informal employment is defined as the total number of informal jobs, whether carried out in formal
sector enterprises, informal sector enterprises, or households, during a given reference period.
Included are:
• Own-account workers (self-employed with no employees) in their own informal sector
enterprises;
• Employers (self-employed with employees) in their own informal sector enterprises;
• Contributing family workers, irrespective of type of enterprise;
• Members of informal producers’ cooperatives (not established as legal entities); • Employees
holding informal jobs as defined according to the employment relationship (in law or in
practice, jobs not subject to national labour legislation, income taxation, social protection or
entitlement to certain employment benefits (paid annual or sick leave, etc.);
• Own-account workers engaged in production of goods exclusively for own final use by their
household.
For operational reasons, the concept is measured as the number of persons employed (and not the
number of jobs) in informal employment in their main job. Where they exist, employees holding
formal jobs in informal sector enterprises should not be counted as informal employment. The Stata
code for identifying the informal employment is provided in the Annex for clarification and
regeneration of the statistics of informal employment of the country.
Employees with informal jobs in either a formal or informal sector enterprise or as paid domestic
workers in a household are considered to have informal jobs if their employment relationship is, in
law or in practice, not subject to national labour legislation, income taxation, social protection or
entitlement to certain employment benefits (such as advance notice of dismissal, severance pay or
paid annual or sick leave). The statistical definition considers both the job-based concept (the
situation of an individual employed person in the job) and the establishment-based concept (the
informal character of the establishment). According to the international standards and using the
survey questionnaire, the informal employment calculation is based on the institutional sector,
establishment registration, status in employment and contribution to pension or retirement fund.
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Time-related underemployment
This indicator relates to the number of employed persons whose hours of work in the reference
period are insufficient in relation to a more desirable employment situation in which the person is
willing and available to engage. The indicator was previously known as “visible underemployment”.
Two time-related underemployment rates are presented: one gives the number of persons in time-
related underemployment as a percentage of the labour force, and the other as a percentage of total
employment.
The measurement of time-related underemployment is considered an integral part of the framework

for measuring the labour force. The time-related underemployed includes all employed persons
whose working time in all jobs is “insufficient in relation to an alternative employment situation in
which the person is willing and available to engage”. The criteria for defining time-related
underemployment are:
i willingness to work additional hours;
ii availability to work additional hours and
iii having worked (total number of hours actually worked) below a threshold (usually 40 hours
in a week) of working hours. The threshold of working time has to be determined at the
national level in order to identify those who worked a sufficient number of hours and to
integrate the labour demand aspect into the indicator.
• The willingness to work additional hours is the main criterion and identifies persons who,
independently of the number of hours already worked during the reference week in all their
jobs, express a desire or preference to work more hours.
• The availability to work additional hours separates those persons who are ready to work
additional hours within a subsequent period, if they had the opportunity to do so, from those
that are not available.
• The criterion of having worked less than a threshold relating to working time (40 or 35
hours per week for this survey) excludes those workers who want to work additional hours
and are available to do so but who already work a “sufficient” number of hours and
therefore, for policy reasons, are considered to have reached their full employment level.
Precarious employment
Workers in precarious employment can be either: (a) workers whose contract of employment leads
to the classification of the incumbent as belonging to the groups of “casual workers”, “short-term
workers” or “seasonal workers”; or (b) workers whose contract of employment will allow the
employing enterprise or person to terminate the contract at short notice and/or at will, with the
specific circumstances to be determined by national legislation and custom. In the case of workers
falling under the first category, workers may be classified as “employees” or “own-account
workers”, according to the characteristics of the employment contract. Workers under category (a)
refer to the following:
 Casual workers – contracts are not expected to continue for more than a very short period.
 Seasonal workers – contract duration is influenced by seasonal factors, such as climate,
public holidays and agriculture season.
 Short-term workers – contracts are expected to last for a short period but longer than that of
casual workers. The common element among the precarious employment categories is the
risky, short-term nature of the employment contracts (category a) or their instability, as
employers may terminate them upon short notice (category b).
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Non-economic activity
Certain activities are not counted as productive and therefore fall outside the production boundary.
Examples of such activities are:
 purely natural processes without any human involvement or direction, such as the
unmanaged growth of fish stocks in international waters;
 basic human activities, such as eating, sleeping or taking exercise, that are impossible for
one person to perform for another person;
 activities that produce no output, such as begging or stealing (however, if the goods so
acquired are resold, the reselling is an economic activity).
The 1998 SNA also excludes the production of all services for own final consumption within the
household. This means that the following activities, for example, are excluded, if they are provided
by unpaid household members for the benefit of their household: cleaning, decorating and
maintaining the dwelling occupied by the household, including small repairs; the cleaning, servicing
and repair of household durables and other goods, including vehicles used for household purposes;
preparing and serving meals for immediate consumption; the care, training and instruction of
children; the care of sick, infirm or old people; and the transportation of household members.
Potential labour force

Potential labour force is defined as all persons of working age who, during the short reference period,
were neither in employment nor in unemployment and: (a) carried out activities to “seek
employment”, were not “currently available” but would become available within a short subsequent
period (i.e. unavailable jobseekers); or (b) did not carry out activities to “seek employment”, but
wanted employment and were “currently available” (i.e. available potential jobseekers).
Unit of interview
Unit of interview is any member of randomly selected households, and the unit of selection can
be any household selected for the sample. The basic socio-demographic data will be collected
for all members of the selected households, however for the employment status only persons
aged 15 years and over will be surveyed.
Reference period
The interviews are uniformly distributed for the entire quarter, being carried out continuously
(weekly) in each month of a given quarter. The reference period is a week, prior to the interview.

The economic activity of a population depends on the demographic characteristics of that
population. The proportion of economically active persons, therefore, differs between sub-groups of
that population. These variations are measured by specific activity rates termed labour force
participation rate. Labour force participation rate is defined as the ratio of the labour force to the
working age population (15 + years), expressed as percentage.
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate is the proportion of unemployed population to the total population in labour
force. This rate measures the percentage of unemployed population in labour force.
Employment to population ratio

The employment-to-population ratio is defined as the proportion of a country’s working-age
population that is employed. A high ratio means that a large proportion of a country’s population is
employed while a low ratio means that a large share of the population is not involved directly in
market-related activities, because they are either unemployed or (more likely) out of the labour force
altogether.
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Reliability of data
Since the survey estimates are based on a sample survey, they are subjected to sampling and non-
sampling errors.
Sampling error
Sampling error is a result of estimating data based on a probability sampling, not on census. Such
error in statistics is termed as relative standard error and often denoted as RSE which is given in
percentage. This error is an indication to the precision of the parameter under study. In other words,
it reflects the extent of variation with other sample-based estimates. Sampling errors of estimates on
a few important variables at national levels are calculated separately as shown in the annex. For
example, the labour force participation rate at the national level was 67.0 per cent with an RSE of
0.23 per cent and standard error (SE) of 0.16 per cent. At 95 per cent confidence interval (α = 0.05),
the labour force participation rate was in the range of 66.69–67.31 per cent.
Non-sampling error
To ensure high quality data, several steps were taken to minimize non-sampling errors. Unlike
sampling errors, these errors cannot be measured and can only be overcome through several
administrative procedures. These errors can arise as a result of incomplete survey coverage, frame
defect, response error, non-response and processing errors such as during editing, coding and data
capture.
Response error
Response error can occur due to differences and difficulty in interpreting questions, either by the
enumerator or respondent. To minimize this error, intensive seven day long basic training and
several refreshing trainings was conducted for the enumerators as well as supervising officers. In
addition, random checks by the high-level officials of BBS and SID were carried out on households
that were already canvassed by the enumerators to ensure the validity of the information recorded.
With regard to editing and processing errors, several consistency checks were done, both manually
and computerized programme using CSPro; batch editing was done using STATA, to ensure the
quality and acceptability of the data produced.
Rounding of estimates
The sum of individual figures may not always equal to the totals shown in related tables because of
independent rounding to one decimal place.
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Chapter 3
Population and household characteristics
This chapter presents a general picture of the estimated demographics and other important
characteristics of households and the population, including age and sex of the population,
household size, sex of the head of the household, geographic distribution and area.
3.1 Population characteristics

According to the survey estimates, Bangladesh’s total population was 161.3 million; of them,
81.0 million were male and 80.3 million were female (Table 3.1). The table also indicates that
the percentage distribution was generally high, almost one third of the total population from the
age group between 0 and 14 years for both sexes. The percentage of the very young population,
aged 0-14 years (32.4 per cent), were still very high when compared with the percentage of those
aged 65 or older (4.9 per cent). In sum: Bangladesh is a country with a young population.
Table 3.1 Distribution of the population, by sex, age group and area
(in million)
Age group Rural Urban Bangladesh
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
0-14 19.9 18.6 38.5 7.1 6.8 13.8 26.9 25.4 52.3
15-24 9.7 9.4 19.2 3.8 4.4 8.3 13.6 13.9 27.4
25-34 7.9 9.8 17.7 3.9 4.6 8.4 11.8 14.3 26.1
35-44 7.2 7.7 14.9 3.3 3.1 6.4 10.5 10.8 21.3
45-54 5.7 5.7 11.3 2.3 2.1 4.5 8.0 7.8 15.8
55-64 4.2 3.7 7.8 1.5 1.2 2.7 5.7 4.8 10.5
65+ 3.6 2.6 6.2 1.0 0.7 1.7 4.6 3.3 7.9
Total 58.2 57.4 115.5 22.8 23.0 45.8 81.0 80.3 161.3
%
0-14 34.2 32.4 33.3 30.9 29.5 30.2 33.2 31.6 32.4
15-24 16.8 16.4 16.6 16.7 19.4 18.0 16.7 17.3 17.0
25-34 13.6 17.0 15.3 16.9 19.8 18.4 14.5 17.8 16.2
35-44 12.5 13.4 12.9 14.4 13.6 14.0 13.0 13.4 13.2
45-54 9.7 9.9 9.8 10.2 9.3 9.7 9.8 9.7 9.8
55-64 7.2 6.4 6.8 6.6 5.2 5.9 7.0 6.0 6.5
65+ 6.1 4.5 5.3 4.4 3.1 3.8 5.7 4.1 4.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
The country’s total population was 161.3 million for each quarter of the year 2016-17. Table 3.2
below indicates that the number and percentage distribution of population by sex for each quarter.
Yearly estimates of the distribution of population is provided by sex and areas. The sex ratio of
male and female population was a bit higher in rural (101.3) areas than that of urban (99.5) areas.
25 | P a g e
Table 3.2 Distribution of the population, by sex and quarter/year and area
(in million)
Sex Quarters of 2016-17 Yearly estimate of 2016-17
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Rural Urban Total
Male 81.2 80.9 80.9 81.0 58.2 22.8 81.0
Female 80.2 80.4 80.4 80.3 57.4 23.0 80.3
Total 161.3 161.3 161.3 161.3 115.5 45.8 161.3
Column %
Male 50.3 50.1 50.1 50.2 50.3 49.9 50.2
Female 49.7 49.9 49.9 49.8 49.7 50.1 49.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Sex ratio 101.2 100.6 100.6 100.9 101.3 99.5 100.8
The chart 3.1 below illustrated the distribution of population by age group and sex
Chart 3.1: Population Pyramid by age group and sex

65 + 4.1 5.7
60-64 2.6 3.2
55-59 3.5 3.8
50-54 4.2 4.3
45-49 5.5 5.5
40-44 5.6 5.7
35-39 7.8 7.3
30-34 8.2 7.0
25-29 9.6 7.5
20-24 8.8 7.0
15-19 8.5 9.8
<= 14 31.6 33.2
-40.0 -30.0 -20.0 -10.0 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0
Female Male
3.2 Dependency ratio

The dependency ratio measures the proportion of children and older persons to the proportion of
persons of workforce age. For the Labour Force Survey, the age dependency ratio was defined
as the ratio of the sum of the population younger than 15 years and the population aged 65 or
older, divided by the number of persons aged between 15 and 64 years. The age dependency ratio
is thus a summary indicator of the burden falling on the working-age population.
As shown in table 3.3, total dependency ratio in 2016-17 was 59.5 per cent; by area, it was 51.5
per cent in urban areas and 62.9 per cent in the rural areas. The disparity is not so surprising,
26 | P a g e
considering the inactive population (aged 0–14 years and 65 or older) are more likely to
concentrate in rural areas than the workforce population. Thus, the dependency ratio for the youth
population was 45.8 per cent in urban areas and 54.2 per cent in the rural areas. Among the elder
population, the dependency ratio was 5.7 per cent in the urban and 8.7 per cent in the rural areas.
Table 3.3 Dependency ratio of the population, by sex and area

(in ‘000)
0-14 years 19863 18591 38454 7051 6779 13831 26914 25371 52285
15-64 years 34719 36192 70912 14769 15457 30227 49489 51649 101138
65+ years 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 58158 57387 115545 22836 22957 45794 80994 80345 161338
Youth dependency 57.2 51.4 54.2 47.7 43.9 45.8 54.4 49.1 51.7
ratio
Old-age dependency 10.3 7.2 8.7 6.9 4.7 5.7 9.3 6.4 7.8
ratio
Total dependency 67.5 58.6 62.9 54.6 48.5 51.5 63.7 55.6 59.5
ratio
3.3 Female-headed households and household size

Generally, the country is characterized as a patriarchal society; this is indeed reflected in the data,
with nearly 85.8 per cent having a male head, compared with 14.2 per cent with a female head
(table 3.4). By area, female-headed households are more, (15.1 per cent) in urban areas, compared
with (13.8 per cent) in the rural areas. It was also observed from the table below that the
household size is less for female-headed households.
Table-3.4: Distribution of sex of the head of the households and household size by area
Sex of the head of Head of the household (%) Household size

the household
Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total
Male 86.2 84.9 85.8 4.3 4.1 4.2
Female 13.8 15.1 14.2 3.0 3.2 3.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 4.1 3.9 4.1
Chart 3.2: Female headed households by area
15.1
14.2
13.8
National Rural Urban
27 | P a g e
3.4 Population by marital status
Population 10 years and over by marital status has been presented in Table-3.5. It is seen from
the table that, among males 60.2 per cent were married compared to 65.6 per cent for the females.
The proportion of widowed, divorced and separated were 1.5 per cent for males as against 9.5
per cent for females.
There exists an urban-rural differential in marital status. In the urban area, 37.0 per cent males
and 25.6 per cent females were unmarried as against 38.8 per cent and 24.6 per cent for the rural
area. In the urban area, 61.6 per cent males and 65.1 per cent females and in the rural area 59.7
per cent male and 65.8 per cent female were married. The percentage of divorced, widowed and
separated were 1.5 per cent for male and 9.3 per cent for female in the urban area compared to
1.5 per cent for male 9.6 per cent for female in the rural area.
Table 3.5 Percentage distribution of the population, by sex, age group and area
Marital status Rural Urban Bangladesh
Unmarried 38.8 24.6 31.7 37.0 25.6 31.3 38.3 24.8 31.6
Married 59.7 65.8 62.7 61.6 65.1 63.4 60.2 65.6 62.9
Widow/Widower 1.1 8.5 4.8 1.0 7.8 4.4 1.1 8.3 4.7
Separated 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.9 0.5 0.2 0.7 0.4
Divorced 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
3.5 Tenure of dwelling houses

It is seen from the table 3.6 that, the proportion of rented house showed very high trend in urban
areas (43.6 per cent) than that of rural areas (3.0 per cent). On the other hand, the percentage of
owned houses was much higher in rural areas (89.5 per cent) than that of urban areas (50.8 per
cent). The proportion of owned houses at the national level in 2016-17 was 78.3 per cent and it
was a bit higher than in 2015-16 (77.0 per cent).
Table-3.6: Ownership of dwelling houses by area and type
2015-16 2016-17
Type of ownership
Owned 88.2 49.9 77.0 89.5 50.8 78.3
Rented 3.5 43.5 15.2 3.0 43.6 14.8
Rent-free 8.4 6.6 7.8 7.4 5.6 6.9
Total 100 100 100 100.0 100.0 100.0
3.6 Households by sources of lighting

Household by sources of lighting has been presented in Table-3.7. It is observed that, the use of
electricity is increasing over the period. Access to electricity was 72.3 per cent in 2015-16 where
as it was 79.0 per cent during the survey period 2016-17. There exists clear rural-urban variation
in the access of electricity, it was 72.4 per cent for the rural areas and 94.9 for the urban areas.
With the increased use of electricity as the source of lighting, the use of other sources such as
kerosene is decreasing consequently.
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Table-3.7: Percentage distribution of households by main source of lighting and area
2015-16 2016-17
Main source of light
Electricity 64.1 92.0 72.3 72.4 94.9 79.0
Kerosene 24.6 5.8 19.1 10.7 1.7 8.0
Solar panel 11.0 2.0 8.4 16.7 3.4 12.8
Others 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
There exists clear rural-urban variation in the access of electricity, it was 72.4 per cent for the
rural areas and 94.9 for the urban areas. With the increased use of electricity as the source of
lighting, the use of other sources such as kerosene is decreasing consequently.
Chart 3.3: Distribution of households by main source of lighting

Others
Solar panel
0%
13%
Kerosene
8%
Electricity
79%
3.7 Households by type of fuel used for cooking

Household by type of cooking fuel used has been displayed in Table 3.8. It is seen from the table
that, wood/firewood (41.3 per cent) were the main fuel used for cooking by the households,
followed by Dung / Leave / Straw (38.7 per cent) and natural gas/LP gas (19.6 per cent). It is
notable that, use of natural gas increased in 2016-17 (19.6 per cent) compared to 2015-16 (18.7
per cent). There exists wide variation in the use of fuel in the urban and rural areas. In the urban
area, as high as 53.9 per cent used natural gas for cooking compared to only 5.4 per cent in the
rural areas.
Table-3.8: Percentage distribution of households by sources of fuel for cooking
Fuel used for cooking 2015-16 2016-17

Wood / firewood 47.0 32.5 42.8 45.0 32.3 41.3
Dung / Leave / Straw 48.2 13.6 38.1 49.5 12.8 38.7
Natural Gas / LP Gas 4.6 52.8 18.7 5.4 53.9 19.6
Kerosene 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0
Electricity 0.1 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
Bio-Gas 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.5 0.2
Others 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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3.8 Household by toilet facility
It is observed from the table 3.9 that, 46.0 per cent of the households reported to use sanitary
toilet, followed by 37.0 per cent use pit latrine, 15.2 per cent households use katcha latrine and
the rest 1.8 per cent of the households have no toilet facility. There exist wide urban-rural
variations in the access to toilet facility. In the city corporation area, the highest 88.4 per cent use
sanitary toilet as against 61.3 per cent of such facility in the urban areas and only 34.9 per cent
in the rural area. Pit and Katcha latrine was very much dominated in the rural areas compared to
urban and city corporation areas. The use of sanitary toilet has increased significantly between
2015-16 at 41.1 per cent and 2016-17 at 46.0 per cent.
Table 3.9: Access to toilet facilities by type and area
2015-16 2016-17
Type of toilet City City
corporation corporation
Sanitary
30.6 57.5 78.9 41.1 34.9 61.3 88.4 46.0
(water-sealed)
Pit latrine 40.3 28.1 16.9 35.3 43.9 28.4 9.8 37.0
Katcha toilet 25.6 13.3 4.2 20.8 18.9 9.5 1.7 15.2
Open air / No toilet 3.6 1.1 0.1 2.7 2.4 0.7 0.0 1.8
Total 100 100 100 100 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
3.9 Household by sources of drinking water

Household by sources of drinking water obtained from the survey have been presented in table
3.10 and in chart-3.4. It is clear from the table below that the use of Tube well was the dominant
(88.0 per cent) type of source of drinking water both in rural (95.6 per cent) and urban (86.7 per
cent) and city corporation (47.4 per cent) areas. However, tap water is the second highest (10.1
per cent) source of drinking water.
Table 3.10: Distribution of households by main source of drinking water and area
Main source of drinking water 2016-17

Rural Urban City Total
corporation
Tap water 2.1 12.8 51.6 10.1
Tube well/deep tube well 95.6 86.7 47.4 88.0
Well 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.5
Pond/River/ Ditch/ Canal 1.1 0.1 0.0 0.9
Others 0.5 0.3 0.9 0.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Chapter 4
Literacy, Education and Training
The lack of education opportunities among the working-age population clearly contributes to the
enabling of unemployment and the weak chances of finding better paid jobs or jobs with greater
security and benefits. The country’s development largely depends on having skilled persons and
it is imparted through the education system and also through further formal training, which may
be specifically related to the requirements of the job. The survey inquired about literacy and full-
time education among all household members aged 5 years or older as well as training
opportunities outside the general education system among household members aged 15 or older.
4.1 Literacy profile

Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write in either Bangla, the mother tongue of
Bangladesh or in some other language. As shown in Table 4.1, an estimated 69.0 per cent of the
population aged 15 or older was literate. Urban areas reflected the higher literacy rate, at 78.0
per cent, compared with 65.2 per cent for the rural areas. A wide gap is evident between the
sexes, with the male literacy rate at 72.7 per cent and the female literacy rate at 65.3 per cent.
Only among the youth (aged 15–29) was there barely a gap, even the literacy rate was better for
females than males: Of the estimated 91.4 per cent literacy among the country’s youth, it was
91.3 per cent for males and 91.4 per cent for females overall. By area, the literacy rate among the
youth was highest in urban areas, at 93.1 per cent, and again with a very little gap between the
sexes, at 93.5 per cent for urban males and at 92.7 for urban females.
Table 4.1 Literacy rate of the population aged 15 or older, by sex, age group and area
(in ‘000)
15-29 90.4 90.8 90.6 93.5 92.7 93.1 91.3 91.4 91.4
30-64 60.0 47.8 53.8 77.4 63.4 70.6 65.3 52.2 58.7
65+ 38.0 11.1 26.6 54.8 25.4 42.6 41.7 14.2 30.1
Total 69.0 61.6 65.2 81.8 74.3 78.0 72.7 65.3 69.0
Chart 4.1: Literacy rate of population aged 15 or older,

by age group and sex
90.4 90.8 90.6
69.0
65.2
60.0 61.6
53.8
47.8
38.0
26.6
11.1
15-29 30-64 65-99 Total

Male Female Total
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There exists urban-rural variation in respect of literacy rate, the literacy rate was higher in city
corporation (79.9 per cent) than that of urban (76.7 per cent) and rural (65.2 per cent) areas. The
literacy rate variation was narrow between locality of the country (Table 4.2).
Table 4.2 Literacy rate of the population aged 15 or older, by sex and locality
(million)
Locality Literate Working age population Literacy rate
Rural 26.4 23.9 50.3 38.3 38.8 77.1 69.0 61.6 65.2
Urban 7.3 6.8 14.1 9.1 9.3 18.4 80.5 72.9 76.7
City corporation 5.6 5.2 10.8 6.7 6.9 13.5 83.6 76.2 79.9
Total 39.3 35.9 75.2 54.1 55.0 109.1 72.7 65.3 69.0
Chart 4.2: Literacy rate of the population aged 15 or older,

by sex and locality
80.5 83.6
76.2
72.9 72.7
69.0
65.3
61.6
Rural Urban City corporation Total
Male Female
Literacy rate of the survey period is depicted below for each quarter by sex and area (Table 4.3).
There were clear variations in the literacy rate between male and females and rural and urban areas.
Table 4.3 literacy rate of population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
Quarter Rural Urban Bangladesh
Q1 68.4 61.1 64.8 81.5 73.8 77.6 72.2 64.9 68.5
Q2 68.7 61.2 64.9 81.8 74.1 77.9 72.6 65.0 68.8
Q3 69.8 62.2 66.0 82.3 74.8 78.5 73.4 65.9 69.6
Q4 68.9 61.7 65.3 81.6 74.6 78.1 72.6 65.5 69.0
Year 69.0 61.6 65.2 81.8 74.3 78.0 72.7 65.3 69.0
4.2 Education profile

As reflected in table 4.4, an estimated 11.1 per cent of the population aged 15 or older was attending
school at the time of the survey, while 29.3 per cent had never attended school and 59.6 per cent was
attended school in the past. The sex disaggregation of the data indicates that about 12.6 per cent of all
males aged 15 or older and 9.6 per cent of all females were attending school at the time of the survey.
Among those who had never attended school, the proportion of females (31.9 per cent) was much
higher than that of males (26.7 per cent).
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Table 4.4 Population aged 15 or older by attended school status, sex and area
Status of attended school Rural Urban Bangladesh

Attended school as % of working age population
Yes, currently attending 12.6 8.8 10.7 12.6 11.5 12.1 12.6 9.6 11.1
Yes. Attended in the past 57.2 55.7 56.5 69.4 65.0 67.2 60.7 58.5 59.6
No, never attended 30.2 35.4 32.8 18.0 23.5 20.8 26.7 31.9 29.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
As shown in table 4.5, an estimated 30.6 per cent of the population aged 15 or older had completed
nothing i.e., no class passed, 22.3 per cent had completed the primary level, 35.0 per cent had
completed secondary school and 4.2 percent had completed tertiary level of education.
Table 4.5 Proportion of population aged 5 or older, by level of completed education, sex and area
Broad education Rural Urban Bangladesh

group Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
None 31.8 36.9 34.4 18.4 24.3 21.4 27.9 33.2 30.6
Primary 23.9 22.4 23.1 20.8 20.1 20.4 23.0 21.7 22.3
Secondary 32.4 35.0 33.7 36.7 39.8 38.3 33.6 36.4 35.0
Higher Secondary 7.6 4.3 6.0 12.3 9.9 11.1 9.0 6.0 7.5
Tertiary 3.5 1.2 2.3 11.5 5.9 8.6 5.8 2.6 4.2
Others 0.8 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.2 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
4.3 Vocational training

Vocational training outside the formal school system provides an important opportunity for many
people to develop skills useful in the workforce. The survey asked everyone aged 15 or older if they
had ever engaged in any vocational training and, if so, duration, source and what type of training. If
someone had participated in more than one training course, only the most important training was
discussed. Based on the findings (table 4.6), an estimated 1.9 million persons (about 1.7 per cent of
the total working age population) have participated in a formal training course outside the general
school system. The proportion of training in urban areas (3.4 per cent) was much higher than that of
rural areas (1.1 per cent) for both sexes.
Table 4.6 Proportion of population aged 15 or older who has received training, by sex and area
(in 000)
Received Rural Urban Bangladesh
Training Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Received training as % of working age population
Yes 1.3 0.8 1.1 4.3 2.5 3.4 2.2 1.3 1.7
No 98.7 99.2 98.9 95.7 97.5 96.6 97.8 98.7 98.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
As indicated in table 4.7 below, the most frequent duration of training was found in 1-2 weeks, at 45.4
per cent, followed by 3-4 weeks, at 27.3 per cent, 1-3 months, at 15.0 per cent.
Table 4.7 Population aged 15 or older who has received training, by duration of training, sex and area
Duration of Rural Urban Bangladesh
Training Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
< 1 week 16.3 4.5 11.8 11.5 6.2 9.5 13.6 5.5 10.5
1-2 Weeks 57.9 60.9 59.0 29.9 43.6 35.1 41.9 51.1 45.4
3-4 Weeks 11.8 19.9 14.8 40.6 30.2 36.7 28.2 25.7 27.3
1-3 Months 11.4 13.2 12.0 16.8 17.8 17.2 14.5 15.8 15.0
4-6 Months 1.4 0.8 1.2 0.4 1.4 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.0
> 6 months 1.3 0.7 1.1 0.7 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.8 0.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
35 | P a g e
Table 4.8 reflected that, the most frequent trade cited, computer training, at 49.3 per cent (with 44.8
per cent female and 52.1 per cent male), followed by office management, at 18.6 per cent, craftsman,
at 7.7 per cent, RMG, at 6.0 per cent.
Table 4.8 Percentage of population aged 15 or older who has received training, by trade, sex and area
Trade of training Rural Urban Bangladesh

Mechanical / civil engineering 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3
Electrical and electronic engineering 5.2 0.9 3.6 0.9 0.3 0.7 2.8 0.6 2.0
Computer 59.1 46.4 54.3 46.8 43.6 45.6 52.1 44.8 49.3
Leather and Textile 0.3 0.9 0.5 0.7 1.8 1.1 0.5 1.4 0.9
Catering, hotel and restaurant 0.7 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.4
Craftsman / handicraft and cottage
work 9.0 20.4 13.3 4.6 1.5 3.4 6.5 9.7 7.7
Creative arts / artists / photography 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2
Agriculture crop production and
preserve 2.0 1.8 1.9 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.4 1.5
Non-crop agricultural activities 3.4 3.7 3.5 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.9 2.1 2.0
Health and paramedical services 2.3 5.1 3.3 2.9 3.3 3.0 2.6 4.1 3.2
Office management 3.1 2.4 2.9 30.8 30.3 30.6 18.9 18.2 18.6
Driving and motor mechanic 3.2 0.2 2.1 2.0 0.1 1.3 2.5 0.1 1.6
Beautician & hairdressing 0.0 0.5 0.2 0.0 6.0 2.3 0.0 3.6 1.4
Tourism 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Journalism, mass communication 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.2
Foreign language 0.9 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.2 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.6
Construction related works 0.8 0.0 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.0 0.3
Furniture 1.3 0.0 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.0 0.4
Welding 1.4 0.0 1.0 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.8 0.1 0.6
Poultry 1.8 0.4 1.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.2 0.6
Plumbing / Pipe Fitting 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
RMG 2.0 13.9 6.5 4.6 7.3 5.6 3.5 10.2 6.0
Other 2.5 1.8 2.2 1.8 3.3 2.4 2.1 2.7 2.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table 4.9 shows the distribution of working age population by source of training received. By type of
ownership of the training institutions, the highest proportion were as the private institute, at 75.6 per
cent, followed by the government institute, at 15.2 per cent and NGOs, at 4.6 per cent.
Table 4.9 Population aged 15 or older who has received training, by source of training, sex and area
Source of training Rural Urban Bangladesh

Male Femal Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
e
Government Institute 10.5 10.0 10.3 17.7 21.0 18.9 14.6 16.2 15.2
Private Institute 79.9 78.5 79.4 73.2 71.8 72.7 76.1 74.7 75.6
NGO 2.4 6.0 3.7 5.6 4.5 5.2 4.2 5.1 4.6
Foreign Institute 0.4 0.8 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.3
Joint venture
Institute 1.3 1.2 1.3 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.9 0.9 0.9
Others Institute 5.5 3.5 4.7 2.8 1.9 2.4 3.9 2.6 3.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
36 | P a g e
Chapter 5
Economic activities and the labour force
This chapter covers data on the working-age population, current economic activity status and
labour force participation aged 15 years and above. The economically active population (or
labour force) encompasses all persons employed and all those who are unemployed. People are
classified as employed, unemployed or outside the labour force according to definitions of the
International Labour Organization (ILO). The activity rate is the share of the population that is
economically active. The estimates reported here are based on the Quarterly Labour Force Survey
(QLFS) 2016-17. Respondents are classified as employed, unemployed and outside the labour
force based on information collected through the survey questionnaire, which mainly relates to
their actual activity during a particular reference week. QLFS estimates are available by various
breakdowns – by age, sex, educational attainment and many other dimensions.
5.1 Working-age population

The country’s working age population (aged 15 or older) experienced dramatic changes over the
past decade and around 109.1 million in 2016-17.
Table 5.1 refers, 41.3 million persons were 15-29 years old (of them, 19.6 million were male and
21.6 million were female), and 59.9 million persons were 30-64 years old (29.9 million males
and 30.0 million females). Around 7.9 million persons were aged 65 or older (4.6 million of them
male and 3.3 million female). The largest proportion of working-age population was in the urban
areas, at 69.8 per cent whereas it was at 66.7 per cent of the total rural population.
Table 5.1 Working age population aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in ‘000)
15-29 13856 14661 28517 5777 6959 12736 19633 21620 41254
30-64 20863 21531 42394 8993 8498 17491 29856 30029 59885
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Total
population 58158 57387 115545 22836 22957 45794 80994 80345 161338
% of total population
15-29 23.8 25.5 24.7 25.3 30.3 27.8 24.2 26.9 25.6
30-64 35.9 37.5 36.7 39.4 37.0 38.2 36.9 37.4 37.1
65+ 6.1 4.5 5.3 4.4 3.1 3.8 5.7 4.1 4.9
Total 65.8 67.6 66.7 69.1 70.5 69.8 66.8 68.4 67.6
39 | P a g e
5.2 Economic activity
A person aged 15 years and over is considered currently economically active if he or she is either
employed for at least one hour during the seven days prior to the survey, or has a job attachment
but is temporarily absent from work or is available to work if work could be found.
Table 5.2 Working age population aged 15 or older, by Labour force status, sex and area
(in ‘000)
Labour force status Rural Urban Bangladesh
Labour force 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Not in Labour force 7556 23839 31395 2995 11160 14155 10551 34998 45549
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Column %
Labour force 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
Not in Labour force 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
% of working age population
Labour force 28.2 13.7 41.9 11.7 4.6 16.3 39.9 18.3 58.2
Total 35.1 35.6 70.7 14.5 14.8 29.3 49.6 50.4 100.0
Based on the survey findings (table 5.2), an estimated 63.5 million population aged 15 or older
were in the labour force at the time of the survey. Male labour force accounted for 43.5 million
(45.5 per cent of total), with 20.0 million females (35.0 per cent of total). An estimated 45.6
million of the population, however, was not in the labour force (10.6 million male and 34.9
million female). Of the total 77.1 million working-age population in rural areas, 45.7 million
were in the labour force, while 31.4 million were outside the labour force.
Table 5.3 Labour force aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Labour force
15-29 9198 4740 13938 3898 2247 6145 13096 6987 20083
30-64 19796 9976 29773 8474 2723 11196 28270 12699 40969
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total labour force 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Total 15+ population 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Total population 58158 57387 115545 22836 22957 45794 80994 80345 161338
Labour force as % of working age population
15-29 24.0 12.2 18.1 24.7 13.9 19.2 24.2 12.7 18.4
30-64 51.7 25.7 38.6 53.7 16.8 35.0 52.3 23.1 37.6
65+ 4.6 0.6 2.6 2.7 0.3 1.5 4.0 0.5 2.2
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
% of total population
15-29 15.8 8.3 12.1 17.1 9.8 13.4 16.2 8.7 12.4
30-64 34.0 17.4 25.8 37.1 11.9 24.4 34.9 15.8 25.4
65+ 3.0 0.4 1.7 1.8 0.2 1.0 2.7 0.4 1.5
Total 52.9 26.1 39.5 56.0 21.9 38.9 53.7 24.9 39.4
The intervals of age groups were different that’s why it is not significant to compare the
distribution among age groups. Nonetheless, a comparison between the male and female data
indicates the total male labour force (43.5 million or 80.5 per cent) was larger than the total
female labour force (20.0 million or 36.3 per cent) overall as well as in both urban and rural areas
(table 5.3).
40 | P a g e
5.3 Labour force participation rate
The labour force participation rate (LFPR) is defined as the number of persons in the labour force,
given as a percentage of the working-age population. The labour force participation rate provides
information about the relative size of the labour supply currently available for the production of
goods and services. It is an important indicator for economic growth and is also used to monitor
progress in the labour market. LFPR is defined as the number of persons in the labour force
(employed + unemployed) expressed as a percentage of the total working age population.
100%
As shown in table 5.4, Bangladesh’s labour force participation rate (the proportion of population aged
15 or older who were currently economically active) in 2016-17 was estimated at 58.2 per cent. By
sex, the labour force participation rate was 80.5 per cent for males and 36.3 per cent for females. The
rate was slightly higher for the rural areas (59.3 per cent) than that of urban (55.7 per cent). The
highest labour force participation rates by broad age groups were among workers aged 30-64 (68.4
per cent), followed by 15-29 (48.7 per cent) and lowest in 65+ age group (31.0 per cent).
Table 5.4 Labour force aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Age Rural Urban Bangladesh
15-29 9198 4740 13938 3898 2247 6145 13096 6987 20083
30-64 19796 9976 29773 8474 2723 11196 28270 12699 40969
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Labour force as % of working age population-LFPR
15-29 66.4 32.3 48.9 67.5 32.3 48.2 66.7 32.3 48.7
30-64 94.9 46.3 70.2 94.2 32.0 64.0 94.7 42.3 68.4
65+ 48.8 9.3 32.1 41.2 6.7 26.9 47.1 8.7 31.0
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
Chart 5.1: Labour force participation rate by age group and sex
94.7
80.5
66.7 68.4
58.2
47.1 48.7
42.3
36.3
32.3 31.0
8.7
Male Female Total
15-29 30-64 65+ Total
41 | P a g e
Labour force participation rate in 2016-17 by education attainment and sex is presented in table-
5.5 below. By education, the labour force participation rate varied significantly, highest 79.4 per
cent for tertiary level completed and lowest 48.3 per cent for those who could not specify their
education level.
Table 5.5 Labour force participation rate aged 15 or older, by education group, sex and area
(in 000)
Education group by Rural Urban Bangladesh
UNESCO Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
No primary schooling 10283 5624 15907 2427 1341 3768 12710 6965 19675
Some or completed
primary 8375 3553 11928 3020 1179 4200 11395 4732 16127
Secondary or post-
secondary non-tertiary 10710 5451 16161 5706 2015 7721 16416 7466 23882
Tertiary 1207 316 1524 1608 482 2090 2816 798 3614
Not specified 163 13 176 28 1 30 192 14 206
Total 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Labour force participation rate (LFPR) %
No primary schooling 84.3 39.2 60.0 83.5 34.1 55.1 84.2 38.1 59.0
Some or completed
primary 91.3 41.0 66.8 92.1 36.3 64.4 91.5 39.7 66.2
Secondary or post-
secondary non-tertiary 70.0 35.7 52.9 73.8 25.1 48.9 71.3 32.0 51.5
Tertiary 90.5 69.3 85.1 88.6 50.9 75.7 89.4 56.9 79.4
Not specified 56.6 18.6 49.2 54.7 9.1 43.8 56.3 16.8 48.3
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
Chart 5.2 illustrated that, the highest labour force participation rate for males were among persons
with primary level completed (91.5 per cent) and lowest in others/not specified education group
(56.3 per cent). For females, the labour force participation rate was highest 56.9 per cent for
“tertiary” level completed and lowest 16.8 per cent for “others/not specified” education level.
Chart 5.2 Labour force participation rate by education and sex

100.0
90.0
91.5 89.4
80.0 84.2
70.0
71.3
60.0
50.0 56.9 56.3
40.0
38.1 39.7
30.0
32.0
20.0
10.0 16.8
0.0
No primary Some or completed Secondary or post- Tertiary Not specified
schooling primary secondary non-
tertiary
Male Female
42 | P a g e
5.4 Trends of Labour force
Chart 5.3: Trends of labour force by quarter and sex (million)
62.7 62.5 63.5 62.8 63.7 64.1 63.4

60.7 62.1 61.4 61.9
42.5 43.1 43.1 43.0 42.9 43.2 43.5 43.0 43.6 43.9 43.6
19.1 18.3 19.0 19.8 19.2 20.0 19.8 20.1 20.2 19.8
18.2
YEAR Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 YEAR Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Total Male Female
Chart 5.4: Trends of labour force by quarter and area (million)
44.8 45.5 45.0 45.7 45.2 45.6 46.2 45.8

43.5 44.3 44.6
17.1 17.3 17.1 17.4 17.2 17.5 17.9 17.6 18.2 17.8 17.6
Year Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Urban Rural
43 | P a g e
Chart 5.5: Trends of LFPR by quarter and area
Total Urban Rural
61.0
60.0 60.3
59.6 59.7 59.6 59.5 59.7
59.0 59.3 59.3
58.7 58.9 58.8 58.6 58.6
58.5 58.5 58.2 58.5
58.0 57.9 58.1
57.8
57.0 56.9
56.6
56.0 56.0 55.8
55.7 55.6 55.7 55.7 55.6 55.7
55.0
54.0
53.0
2015-16 2016-17
Chart 5.6: Trends of LFPR by quarter and sex

Total Male Female
90.0
80.0 81.9 82.5 82.1 81.2 81.7 80.5 81.0 80.9 80.6
79.6
70.0
60.0 58.5 57.9 58.5 58.9 58.8 58.2 58.6 58.5 58.1
57.8
50.0
40.0
35.6 35.5 37.0 36.0 36.3 36.2 36.7 36.5 36.0
33.9
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
2015-16 2016-17
44 | P a g e
Chapter 6
Employment
This chapter looks at the characteristics of the employed population, such as the occupations and
industries where people work, their level of education and their employment status. The
"employed" comprises all persons older than a specified age (15 years) who, during a specified
period (seven days prior to the survey) was involved in any form of work for wage or salary,
profit or family gain and including the production of goods for own consumption.
6.1 Employment by age group sex and area

As shown in table 6.1, of the 109.1 million persons aged 15 years or older, 60.8 million of them
(55.8 per cent) were in employment or engaged in economic activity; 18.7 million of them (33.9
per cent) were females. Almost 18.0 million or 29.5 per cent of the employed population was in
the younger age groups, 15–29 years old. About two-thirds (66.5 per cent) of the employed
population was belongs to the adult age group (30-64), whereas only 4.0 per cent of the employed
population from the age group 65+ years old.
Table 6.1 Employed population aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in '000)
15-19 2103 599 2701 766 436 1202 2869 1035 3904
20-24 2699 1376 4075 1076 633 1708 3775 2009 5783
25-29 3655 2090 5744 1719 802 2521 5373 2892 8265
Sub-total 8457 4064 12521 3560 1871 5432 12017 5936 17952
30-34 3658 2201 5859 1823 761 2584 5481 2962 8443
35-39 3934 2363 6298 1779 654 2433 5713 3017 8730
40-44 3060 1632 4692 1401 411 1812 4461 2043 6504
45-49 3040 1532 4572 1240 389 1629 4280 1921 6201
50-54 2331 1002 3333 958 225 1183 3289 1227 4516
55-59 2056 711 2768 737 141 878 2793 853 3646
60-64 1529 329 1858 456 68 524 1985 397 2382
Sub-total 19609 9770 29379 8394 2650 11044 28002 12421 40423
65 + 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Sub-total 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Total WAP 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Column %
15-29 28.4 28.9 28.5 28.8 41.0 32.1 28.5 31.8 29.5
30-64 65.8 69.4 66.9 67.8 58.0 65.2 66.4 66.6 66.5
65+ 5.9 1.7 4.5 3.4 1.1 2.8 5.1 1.6 4.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Employed persons as % of total working age population
15-29 22.1 10.5 16.2 22.6 11.6 17.0 22.2 10.8 16.5
30-64 51.2 25.2 38.1 53.2 16.4 34.6 51.8 22.6 37.1
65+ 4.6 0.6 2.6 2.7 0.3 1.5 4.0 0.5 2.2
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
47 | P a g e
The following chart 6.1 illustrates the overlaying distribution of working age population (WAP)
and employed persons by age group and sex.
Chart 6.1: Overlaying distribution of WAP and Employed (in million)
65 + 3.3 0.3 2.2 4.6

60-64 2.1 0.4 2.0 2.6
Female Male
55-59 2.8 0.9 2.8 3.1
50-54 3.4 1.2 3.3 3.5
45-49 4.5 1.9 4.3 4.5
40-44 4.5 2.0 4.5 4.6
35-39 6.3 3.0 5.7 5.9
30-34 6.6 3.0 5.5 5.7
25-29 7.7 2.9 5.4 6.1
20-24 7.1 2.0 3.8 5.6
15-19 6.8 1.0 2.9 7.9
-10.0 -8.0 -6.0 -4.0 -2.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0
Emp_Female Emp_Male WAP Female WAP Male
6.2 Employment by occupation and industry

As table 6.2 indicates, the largest share of all employed persons (32.4 per cent) was skilled
agriculture workers. Some 17.2 per cent were employed in elementary occupations, followed by
17.0 per cent in Craft and Related Trades Workers, 16.5 per cent in Service and Sales Workers.
In urban areas, the largest share by far, at 24.6 per cent, of the employed population was in Craft
and Related Trades Workers; within sex, 21.5 per cent were male and 33.0 per cent were female.
In rural areas, skilled agriculture workers accounted for the largest share of the employed
population, at 41.2 per cent, with the breakdown by sex, 63.0 per cent were females among female
employed.
Table 6.2 Share of Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation, sex and area
Occupation Rural Urban Bangladesh

Managers 1.1 0.2 0.8 4.6 1.6 3.8 2.1 0.6 1.6
Professionals 3.6 3.6 3.6 6.7 11.4 8.0 4.5 5.5 4.8
Technicians and Associate 1.6 0.6 1.3 3.8 1.8 3.3 2.3 0.9 1.9
Professionals
Clerical Support Workers 1.3 0.4 1.0 2.9 1.7 2.6 1.8 0.8 1.5
Service and Sales Workers 18.1 3.8 13.5 30.0 8.4 24.2 21.6 4.9 16.5
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry 30.8 63.0 41.2 6.8 16.9 9.6 23.8 51.7 32.4
and Fisheries
Craft and Related Trades 15.0 12.4 14.1 21.5 33.0 24.6 16.9 17.5 17.0
Workers
Plant and Machine 8.2 1.7 6.1 10.6 3.8 8.8 8.9 2.2 6.8
Operators, and Assembler
Elementary Occupations 20.1 14.1 18.2 12.5 21.1 14.9 17.9 15.8 17.2
Other Occupations 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
48 | P a g e
Chart 6.2: Percent distribution of employed persons by occupation
Other Occupations 0.2
Clerical Support Workers 1.5
Managers 1.6
Technicians and Associate Professiona 1.9
Professionals 4.8
Plant and Machine Operators, and Asse 6.8
Service and Sales Workers 16.5
Craft and Related Trades Workers 17.0
Elementary Occupations 17.2
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries 32.4
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0
In urban areas, more than half (58.8 per cent) employed persons aged 15 or older worked in the
service sector while agriculture is more prominent in rural areas (51.7 per cent) followed by
services (31.3 per cent) and industry sector at 17.0 per cent (Table 6.3).
Table 6.3 Employed populations aged 15 or older, by economic sector, sex and area
(in 000)
Sector Rural Urban Bangladesh
Agriculture 12478 10220 22699 1086 908 1994 13565 11128 24693
Industry 5828 1614 7442 3451 1532 4982 9279 3145 12424
Service 11503 2242 13744 7836 2131 9967 19338 4372 23711
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
% of total employment
Agriculture 20.5 16.8 37.3 1.8 1.5 3.3 22.3 18.3 40.6
Industry 9.6 2.7 12.2 5.7 2.5 8.2 15.3 5.2 20.4
Service 18.9 3.7 22.6 12.9 3.5 16.4 31.8 7.2 39.0
Total 49.0 23.1 72.1 20.3 7.5 27.9 69.3 30.7 100.0
Column %
Agriculture 41.9 72.6 51.7 8.8 19.9 11.8 32.2 59.7 40.6
Industry 19.6 11.5 17.0 27.9 33.5 29.4 22.0 16.9 20.4
Service 38.6 15.9 31.3 63.3 46.6 58.8 45.8 23.5 39.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Chart 6.3: Distribution of employed persons

by economic sectors
Service, Agriculture,
39.0 40.6
Industry,
20.4
49 | P a g e
In terms of the distribution of the employed population by broad economic sector (Chart 6.3), the
largest proportion was in agriculture, at 40.6 per cent, followed by 39.0 percent in services and
20.4 per cent in industry sector.
The distribution of the employed population varies widely by locality and sectors (Table 6.4). In
rural areas, the largest proportion was in agriculture, at 51.7 per cent, followed by 31.1 percent
in services and 17.0 per cent in industry sector. In both urban and city corporation areas, the
service sector is dominant (57.5 and 60.4 per cent respectively). Agriculture comprises of only
2.9 per cent in the city corporation areas of employed population.
Table 6.4 Employed population aged 15 or older, by sector and locality
(in '000)
Sector Rural Urban City corporation Total
Agriculture 22699 1776 218 24693

Industry 7442 2180 2802 12424
Service 13744 5360 4607 23711
Total 43885 9316 7626 60828
Column %
Agriculture 51.7 19.1 2.9 40.6
Industry 17.0 23.4 36.7 20.4
Service 31.3 57.5 60.4 39.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table 6.5 presents the distribution of the employed population by industry (BSIC 2009 at 1
digit/section). The distribution of employed persons has been classified by industry, sex and area
is provided below. The largest proportion was in Agriculture, forestry and fishing at 40.6 per
cent, followed by 14.4 per cent in manufacturing and 14.2 per cent in wholesale and retail trade.
Table 6.5 Employed population aged 15 or above, by major industry, sex and area
(in 000)
ISIC Rev-4/BSIC 2009 at 1 Rural Urban Bangladesh
digit-Section Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Agriculture, forestry and
fishing 41.9 72.6 51.7 8.8 19.9 11.8 32.2 59.7 40.6
Sub-total 41.9 72.6 51.7 8.8 19.9 11.8 32.2 59.7 40.6
Mining and quarrying 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.2
Manufacturing 12.0 10.0 11.3 18.8 32.0 22.4 14.0 15.4 14.4
Electricity, gas, steam and
air conditioners 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.2
Water supply, sewerage,
waste management 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
Construction 7.1 1.4 5.3 8.6 1.3 6.6 7.5 1.4 5.6
Sub-total 19.6 11.5 17.0 27.9 33.5 29.4 22.0 16.9 20.4
Wholesale and retail trade,
repair of 16.1 2.7 11.8 26.1 5.4 20.5 19.0 3.4 14.2
Transportation and storage 11.0 1.0 7.8 14.2 1.5 10.8 11.9 1.1 8.6
Accommodation and food
service activities 1.9 0.7 1.5 3.2 1.9 2.9 2.3 1.0 1.9
Information and
communication 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.8 0.2 0.7 0.4 0.1 0.3
Financial and insurance
activities 0.4 0.2 0.3 1.9 1.2 1.7 0.8 0.4 0.7
Real estate activities 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.0 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.2
Professional, scientific and
technic 0.4 0.1 0.3 1.0 0.3 0.8 0.6 0.1 0.4
Administrative and support
service activities 0.6 0.1 0.4 1.2 0.4 1.0 0.8 0.2 0.6
50 | P a g e
Table 6.5 Employed population aged 15 or above, by major industry, sex and area
(in 000)
ISIC Rev-4/BSIC 2009 at 1 Rural Urban Bangladesh
digit-Section Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Public administration and
defense 1.3 0.4 1.0 3.5 2.0 3.1 2.0 0.8 1.6
Education 2.7 3.2 2.8 4.0 9.8 5.6 3.1 4.8 3.6
Human health and social
work activities 0.5 0.7 0.5 1.2 2.6 1.6 0.7 1.2 0.8
Arts, entertainment and
recreation 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Other service activities 3.1 4.5 3.6 3.9 7.9 5.0 3.3 5.4 4.0
Activities of households as
employer 0.3 2.4 1.0 1.4 13.1 4.6 0.6 5.0 2.0
Activities of extraterritorial
organ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Sub-total 38.6 15.9 31.3 63.3 46.6 58.8 45.8 23.5 39.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
6.3 Employment by literacy status and education attainment

More than two-third (69.3 per cent or 42.1 million) of the estimated employed population at the
time of the survey was literate (table 6.6) whereas one third (1.9 million or 30.7 per cent) of the
employed population was not literate. About 67.0 per cent of the employed male in the rural areas
was literate; it was 81.0 per cent in the urban areas.
Table 6.6 Employed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Literacy Rural Urban Bangladesh
Literate 19972 8836 28809 10020 3298 13318 29992 12135 42127
Not-literate 9837 5239 15076 2353 1272 3625 12190 6511 18701
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Column %
Literate 67.0 62.8 65.6 81.0 72.2 78.6 71.1 65.1 69.3
Not-literate 33.0 37.2 34.4 19.0 27.8 21.4 28.9 34.9 30.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Literate 75.6 37.0 57.3 77.6 27.4 53.4 76.3 33.8 56.0
Not-literate 82.7 35.1 56.3 82.0 30.6 51.6 82.6 34.2 55.3
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
Chart 6.4: Distribution of Employed persons by literacy and sex
Not-literate, 30.7
Total
Literate, 69.3
Not-literate, 34.9
Female
Literate, 65.1
Not-literate, 28.9
Male
Literate, 71.1
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0
51 | P a g e
Among the employed males, an estimated 26.5 per cent of them had completed their primary
education, 30.4 per cent who had completed their secondary education, and 6.1 per cent who had
graduated university education. About 28.9 per cent of the employed male had no education at all. At
36.4 per cent of the female employed had no education, followed by 31.7 per cent had completed
secondary education, 24.2 per cent had completed primary school, and only 3.4 per cent had
completed tertiary level.
The largest proportion of the employed population in urban areas, 33.5 per cent (5.7 million), had a
secondary education, while the largest proportion of the employed population in rural areas, at 35.7
per cent (15.7 million) had no education.
Table 6.7 Employed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Education Rural Urban Bangladesh
qualification Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
None 10178 5481 15659 2406 1311 3717 12584 6792 19376
Primary 8225 3383 11607 2969 1123 4092 11194 4505 15699
Secondary 8533 4499 13031 4272 1407 5679 12805 5905 18710
Higher Secondary 1645 467 2112 1191 335 1525 2836 801 3637
Tertiary 1073 234 1307 1508 394 1902 2581 627 3209
Others 156 13 169 27 1 28 182 14 197
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Column %
None 34.1 38.9 35.7 19.4 28.7 21.9 29.8 36.4 31.9
Primary 27.6 24.0 26.4 24.0 24.6 24.2 26.5 24.2 25.8
Secondary 28.6 32.0 29.7 34.5 30.8 33.5 30.4 31.7 30.8
Tertiary 3.6 1.7 3.0 12.2 8.6 11.2 6.1 3.4 5.3
Others 0.5 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Chart 6.5: Distribution of employed by education attainment

Tertiary
Higher Secondary 5%
6%
Others
0%
None
32%
Secondary
31%
Primary
26%
As shown in table 6.8, the largest share of the employed persons who had not completed any level of
education were engaged in skilled agriculture work (43.6 percent), followed by those in elementary
occupations (28.0 per cent), craft and related trades (11.8 per cent) and services and sales (10.5 per
cent). As expected, the percentage of employed persons with higher education levels tend to increase
in high level occupations (e.g., managers and professionals), while it decreases among lower
occupational groups (Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries and Elementary Occupations).
52 | P a g e
Table 6.8 Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation and education attainment
(in ‘000)
Occupation Level of education completed
None Primary Secondary Higher Tertiary Others Total
Secondary
Managers 0.0 0.0 1.1 5.8 17.9 0.7 1.6
Professionals 0.0 0.0 3.0 25.2 42.6 46.5 4.8
Technicians and Associate
Professionals 0.0 0.4 2.7 7.4 9.2 0.7 1.9
Clerical Support Workers 0.0 0.3 2.2 6.4 6.7 0.2 1.5
Service and Sales Workers 10.5 16.0 21.9 24.7 14.3 13.6 16.5
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and
Fisheries 43.6 32.1 29.6 13.0 4.5 16.7 32.4
Craft and Related Trades Workers 11.8 22.8 21.5 10.4 2.9 10.4 17.0
Plant and Machine Operators, and
Assemblers 6.1 9.0 7.8 2.3 0.6 6.2 6.8
Elementary Occupations 28.0 19.5 9.9 2.9 0.8 5.1 17.2
Other Occupations 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.9 0.5 0.0 0.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
As shown in table 6.9, the percentage of employed persons who had a higher level of education
decreased gradually in the agriculture sector but increased progressively in the services sector.
The scenario was completely reverse for non-educated persons, it is almost 57.1 per cent for the
Agriculture sector.
Table 6.9 Employed population aged 15 or older, by economic sector and education attainment
(in ‘000)
Education Agriculture Industry Service Total Agriculture Industry Service Total
Number (in million) Row %
None 11056 2966 5353 19376 57.1 15.3 27.6 100.0
Primary 6386 3961 5352 15699 40.7 25.2 34.1 100.0
Secondary 6500 4322 7888 18710 34.7 23.1 42.2 100.0
Higher Secondary 549 652 2436 3637 15.1 17.9 67.0 100.0
Tertiary 165 495 2548 3209 5.1 15.4 79.4 100.0
Others 35 28 134 197 17.9 14.3 67.8 100.0
Total 24693 12424 23711 60828 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
6.4 Employed population by Status in employment

The largest share of the employed population (26.9 million) worked as own-account workers,
followed by (23.8 million) as employees and contributing family workers (7.0 million), as shown
in table 6.10 below. Between the sexes by largest share, there were more males in all categories
except among contributing family workers, where there were more than three times employed
females (5.3 million) than employed males (1.7 million).
Table 6.10 Distribution of employed population aged 15 or older, by status in employment, sex and
area (in 000)
Status in employment Rural Urban Bangladesh
Employer 1794 86 1881 790 34 824 2585 120 2705
Own account worker 14712 6191 20903 4909 1142 6051 19620 7333 26954
Contributing family
helper 1379 4820 6199 329 468 798 1708 5289 6997
Employee 11711 2914 14625 6248 2903 9151 17959 5817 23775
Others 213 64 278 97 22 119 310 87 397
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
53 | P a g e
As shown in chart 6.6 below, the largest share of the employed population (44.3 per cent) worked
as own-account workers, followed by (39.1 per cent) as employees and contributing family
workers (11.5 per cent).
Chart 6.6: Percent distribution of employed persons,

by status in employment
Employer, 4.4
Others, 0.7
Employee, 39.1
Own account
worker, 44.3
Contributing
family helper,
11.5
6.5 Employed population by ownership

The largest share of the employed population (60.9 per cent) belongs to Individual proprietorship
category, followed by (20.8 per cent) from Households category, 13.6 per cent from Private
category. Only 3.8 per cent employees belongs to Government/Autonomous/local government
categories, as shown in table 6.11 below. Between the sexes by largest share, there were more
males in all categories except among Household category, where there were more employed
females (47.4 per cent among female employed) than employed males (9.1 per cent among male
employed).
Table 6.11 Employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, sex and area
Ownership Rural Urban Bangladesh

Column %
Govt, Autonomous,
Local govt 2.8 2.5 2.7 6.6 6.2 6.5 3.9 3.4 3.8
NGO 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.5 0.7 0.6
Individual
Proprietorship 76.2 35.4 63.1 64.2 31.1 55.2 72.6 34.4 60.9
Household 10.9 54.1 24.7 4.9 26.6 10.7 9.1 47.4 20.8
Private 9.4 7.3 8.7 22.9 34.9 26.2 13.4 14.0 13.6
Other 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.8 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.1 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
54 | P a g e
6.6 Trends of employed persons
Chart 6.7: Trends of employed persons by quarter and sex
59.5 59.3 60.1 60.0 60.8 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7

58.1 58.7
41.2 41.8 41.7 41.6 41.7 42.0 42.2 41.9 42.2 42.5 42.2
17.8 17.0 17.7 18.4 18.0 18.6 18.5 18.9 18.7 18.5
16.8
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Total Male Female
Chart 6.8: Trends of employed persons by quarter and sector
26.2 25.8 25.7 25.6

25.4 24.7 25.0 24.7
24.4 24.6 24.5
23.8
23.7 23.7 23.6 23.7
22.0 21.9 22.6
21.5 21.8
19.8
12.2 12.5 12.9 12.4 12.4 12.8 12.3

12.1 11.5 11.8 12.1
YEAR Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 YEAR Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Agriculture Industry Service
55 | P a g e
Chart 6.9: Trends of contributing family worker/unpaid family helper
by year and quarter
10.6
9.6
8.6 9.0 8.5
7.3 7.0 6.9 7.4 6.9
6.8
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Chart 6.10: Trends employed persons by quarter and status in

employment
27.0 27.6 27.1

26.6 26.2 26.8 26.2
25.7 25.4
24.8 24.2 24.4
23.6 23.3 23.9 23.8 23.9 23.5 23.3
22.5 22.9 22.2
22.0
20.0
11.8
10.6
9.0 9.6
8.6 8.5
7.3 7.0 6.9 6.8 7.4 6.9
2.7 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.9

1.4 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.7
0.9
0.5 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4
0.1
Employer Own account worker Contributing family helper

Employee Others
56 | P a g e
Chapter 7
Informal employment
This chapter presents the data on informal employment by institutional sector, occupations and
broad economic and education levels. Informal employment is a job-based concept and
encompasses those jobs that generally lack basic social or legal protections or employment
benefits and may be found in the formal sector, informal sector or households. Nearly all
categories of informal sector employment are also classified as informal employment. The
informal employment rate is considered as an important indicator regarding the quality of
employment in an economy.
Persons can be defined as working in the informal sector in terms of their main activity. For
the QLFS, the operational (statistical) definition for informal employment in Bangladesh was
a combination of both the informal character of the individual job as well as employment in
the informal sector:
i All individual job-based informal employment – operationally comprises all employed
persons in the non-agriculture sector, both wage and salaried workers (employees)
with no pension or no contribution to a retirement fund;
ii All contributing family workers;
iii All employers and own-account workers in the informal sector enterprises
(operationally defined as all private unincorporated enterprises engaged in non-
agriculture work that do not have any registration);
iv All own-account workers employed in a private household.
7.1 Informal employment by sex and area

Informal employment is dominating in the country and according to the Chart 7.1, at the
national level, 85.1 per cent of the employed population engaged in informal employment; it
was 91.8 per cent females and 82.1 per cent for the male counterparts.
C h a r t 7 . 1 : I n f o r m a l e m p l o ym e n t b y s e x
Total Formal, 14.9 Informal, 85.1

Bangladesh
Female Formal, 8.2 Informal, 91.8
Male Formal, 17.9 Informal, 82.1
59 | P a g e
Table 7.1 Employed population aged 15 or older, by formal/informal sector, sex and area
(in 000)
Sector of Rural Urban Bangladesh
employment Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Formal 4298 946 5244 3270 579 3850 7569 1525 9094
Informal 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
%
Formal 14.4 6.7 11.9 26.4 12.7 22.7 17.9 8.2 14.9
Informal 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table 7.1 indicates, the contribution of informal employment in urban areas was 13.1 million
(77.3 per cent), and in rural areas, it was 38.6 million (88.1 per cent). In rural areas, 13.1
million (93.3 per cent) of the females are in informal employment whereas it was 4.0 million
(87.3 per cent) in urban areas. Overall, 51.7 million (85.1 per cent) of the total employed
persons (60.8 million) in the country were informally employed.
Chart 7.2: Percentage distribution of Informal employment

by sex and area
73.6 77.3
85.6 88.1 87.3 82.1 85.1
93.3 91.8
26.4 22.7
14.4 11.9 12.7 17.9 14.9
6.7 8.2
Rural Urban Bangladesh
Formal Informal
Chart 7.2 indicates, the contribution of informal employment in urban areas was 77.3 per cent,
and in rural areas, it was 88.1 per cent. In rural areas, 93.3 per cent of the females are in
informal employment whereas it was 87.3 per cent in urban areas.
Table 7.2 indicates that of a total of 51.7 million persons engaged in informal employment, of
them 31.0 per cent were 15–29 years old, while 64.9 per cent were 30–64 years old; only 4.1
per cent were 65 or older. Overall, informal employment among females was far higher (91.9
per cent) than that of male (82.0 per cent) counterparts. The percentage distribution of informal
employment from Chart 7.2 portrays a scenario, where both in rural and urban areas, the
proportion of informal employment in rural areas for females (93.3 per cent) is higher than in
urban areas (87.4 per cent).
60 | P a g e
Table 7.2: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in ‘000)
Informal employment
15-29
7516 3729 11245 3061 1709 4770 10577 5438 16015
30-64
16409 9188 25597 5732 2238 7970 22141 11426 33567
65+
1539 218 1758 320 45 365 1859 264 2123
Total
25464 13135 38599 9112 3992 13105 34576 17128 51704
Column %
15-29
29.5 28.4 29.1 33.6 42.8 36.4 30.6 31.8 31.0
30-64
64.4 69.9 66.3 62.9 56.1 60.8 64.0 66.7 64.9
65+
6.0 1.7 4.6 3.5 1.1 2.8 5.4 1.5 4.1
Total
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Informal employment as % of total employment
15-29
88.9 91.8 89.8 86.0 91.3 87.8 88.0 91.6 89.2
30-64
83.7 94.0 87.1 68.3 84.5 72.2 79.1 92.0 83.0
65+
88.3 90.6 88.5 76.4 93.3 78.2 86.0 91.0 86.6
Total
85.4 93.3 88.0 73.7 87.4 77.3 82.0 91.9 85.0
Informal employment varies widely by broad age group and rural and urban areas. In urban
areas, informal employment was 77.3 per cent, and it was 88.0 per cent in rural areas, where
the largest number of informally employed persons engaged. The percentage distribution of
informal employment portrays a scenario, where both in rural and urban areas, the proportion
of informal and formal employment in rural areas for females (93.3 per cent) is higher than in
urban areas (87.4 per cent). Table 7.2 shows that, both in rural and urban areas, females and
youths aged 15-29 are more likely to be in the informal employment than male counterpart.
The distribution of formal/informal employment by sex and area over administrative divisions
is illustrated in table 7.3 below:
Table 7.3: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by division, area and sex
Division Rural Urban Bangladesh

Barisal
81.0 90.6 83.6 68.0 74.8 69.5 78.5 88.2 81.1
Chittagong
84.6 91.2 87.1 76.6 86.1 79.3 82.1 90.0 84.8
Dhaka
87.2 93.8 89.1 73.9 89.1 78.2 81.5 91.9 84.5
Khulna
81.5 92.8 85.0 71.4 84.2 74.5 79.5 91.5 83.0
Rajshahi
86.3 95.4 89.8 72.9 87.2 77.0 83.6 94.2 87.5
Rangpur
90.0 95.7 91.6 73.5 87.8 76.5 87.0 94.7 89.2
Sylhet
79.2 87.6 81.2 68.4 76.6 69.7 77.3 86.3 79.3
Total
85.4 93.3 88.0 73.7 87.4 77.3 82.0 91.9 85.0
61 | P a g e
7.2 Informal employment by economic sectors and occupations
The distribution of the informal employment across the broad economic sectors is shown in
Chart 7.3. The percentage of informally employed persons in total employment was very high
in all sectors; in particular, it was 95.4 per cent in Agriculture sector, followed by Industry
sector (89.9 per cent) and service sector (71.8 per cent).
Chart 7.3: Percentage distribution of Informal employment

by broad economic sector
Total 14.9 85.1
Service 28.2 71.8
Industry 10.1 89.9
Agriculture 4.6 95.4
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0 100.0 120.0
Formal Informal
Informal employment varies widely by economic sectors. It indicates that 95.4 per cent of the
total employment of the agriculture sector engaged in the informal employment, followed by
89.9 per cent of industry sector and 71.8 per cent of the service sector engaged in the informal
employment. Table 7.4 below also shows that there were wide variations in the rate of informal
employment by area in all the sectors.
Table 7.4 Employed population aged 15 or older, by formal/informal employment, sector and area
(in 000)
employment Formal Informal Total Formal Informal Total Formal Informal Total
Agriculture 1015 21684 22699 129 1864 1994 1145 23548 24693
Industry 702 6740 7442 553 4429 4982 1256 11168 12424
Service 3526 10218 13744 3167 6800 9967 6693 17018 23711
Total 5244 38641 43885 3850 13093 16943 9094 51734 60828
Agriculture 2.3 49.4 51.7 0.8 11.0 11.8 1.9 38.7 40.6
Industry 1.6 15.4 17.0 3.3 26.1 29.4 2.1 18.4 20.4
Service 8.0 23.3 31.3 18.7 40.1 58.8 11.0 28.0 39.0
Total 11.9 88.1 100.0 22.7 77.3 100.0 14.9 85.1 100.0
Row %
Agriculture 4.5 95.5 100.0 6.5 93.5 100.0 4.6 95.4 100.0
Industry 9.4 90.6 100.0 11.1 88.9 100.0 10.1 89.9 100.0
Service 25.7 74.3 100.0 31.8 68.2 100.0 28.2 71.8 100.0
Total 11.9 88.1 100.0 22.7 77.3 100.0 14.9 85.1 100.0
62 | P a g e
7.3 Formal employment by education attainment
As indicated in table 7.5, the incidence of formal employment was far higher among the highly
educated (Tertiary education 48.3 per cent, followed by higher secondary education 32.0 per
cent, secondary levels 19.1 per cent, primary levels 10.8 per cent, and no education 5.6 per
cent).
Table 7.5 Formal employment aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Occupation Formal employment Total employment Formal as % of total
employment
None 815 271 1086 12584 6792 19376 6.5 4.0 5.6
Primary 1454 246 1699 11194 4505 15699 13.0 5.5 10.8
Secondary 3035 536 3571 12805 5905 18710 23.7 9.1 19.1
Higher secondary 1004 162 1165 2836 801 3637 35.4 20.2 32.0
Tertiary 1240 310 1550 2581 627 3209 48.0 49.4 48.3
Others 22 0 22 182 14 197 12.0 2.9 11.3
Total 7569 1525 9094 42182 18646 60828 17.9 8.2 14.9
Chart 7.4: Proportion of formal employment by education

attainment
48.3
32.0
19.1
14.9
10.8 11.3
5.6

secondary
There exists a clear positive correlation between higher education attainment and formal
employment i.e., highly educated persons are more likely to be in the sector of formal
employment and less educated are more likely to be employed in the informal employment
(Chart 7.4).
63 | P a g e
7.4 Trends of informal employment rate
Chart 7.5: Trends of informal employment rate by quarter

89.0
87.5 87.4 87.2 87.2
87.0 86.2 86.3
85.9
85.4
85.1
85.0 84.3 84.6
84.2
83.0
81.0
79.0
77.0
75.0
2010 2013 2015-16 2016-17
Chart 7.6: Proportion of informal employment by quarter and sex
95.4 95.9 96.0 95.8

94.9
93.7
92.3 91.8 92.4
90.3 90.1 90.0
85.5 86.3
83.3 83.5
82.3 82.2 82.1 81.9 81.7 82.4 82.3
80.3
2010 2013 2015-16 2016-17
Male Female
64 | P a g e
Chapter 8
Unemployment
8.1 Unemployment
The standard definition of unemployment is based on the following three criteria, which should
be satisfied simultaneously: "without work", "currently available for work" and "seeking
work". For the survey regarding unemployment “job search” applied only to people not
employed in the seven days prior to the interview. Requirements for unemployment were
defined as follows:
a) “In the past 30 days, did (NAME) look for a job or try to start a business?”
b) “Did (NAME) want to work in the past seven days?”
c) “If an opportunity to work had existed, would (NAME) have been able to start
work in the past seven days?”
Nevertheless, the criterion of seeking work, persons without work and currently available for
work who had made arrangements to take up paid employment or undertake a self-employed
activity at a date subsequent to the reference period (future engagements) should be considered
as unemployed. Persons temporarily absent from their jobs with no formal job attachment (laid
off) who were currently available for work and seeking work should be regarded as
unemployed.
In this context, “availability for work” is interpreted as ability and readiness to work, provided
the person is given a work opportunity. One purpose of the availability criterion is to exclude
both persons who are seeking work to begin at a later date (a test of the current readiness to
start work) and those who cannot start work for certain reasons (family responsibilities, studies,
etc.).
The validity of the "current availability" criterion in terms of time need not be limited to the
reference week or day but rather extended to one week or two weeks beyond the basic survey
reference period.
 The "seeking work" criterion can be interpreted as activity or efforts undertaken during
the specified reference period or prior to find a job. Such efforts may include:
- registration at a public or private employment agency;
- application to employers, checking at work sites;
- placing or answering newspaper advertisements;
- seeking assistance from friends or relatives;
- arranging for land, machinery or resources etc.
 The job search period is not limited to the specified reference period – usually one
month or the past four weeks, including the survey reference period.
67 | P a g e
8.2 Unemployed by age group and sex
The distribution of the unemployed persons aged 15 years and over in terms of their age group
and sex is reflected in Chart 8.1. Of those, about 1358 thousand youths aged 15-24 were more
likely to unemployed in 2016-17, followed by 722 thousand in the age group 25-29 and 546
thousand in the age group 30 years and above were considered as unemployed.
Chart 8.1: Unemployed persons(in 000) aged 15 years or

over, by age group and sex
Male Female Total
2677
1358
1347
1330
772
744
614
546
437
335
279
267
15-24 25-29 30+ Total
As reflected in table 8.1, the survey found an estimated 2.68 million unemployed persons aged
15 or older. Of them, 1.36 million were youth, aged 15–24 years (50.8 per cent) and 1.32
million were adults, aged 25+ years (49.2 per cent). The absolute number of unemployed
females (1.33 million) was almost same as male counterparts (1.35 million). There were far
more unemployed persons in rural areas (1.81 million) than in urban areas (0.87 million).
Table 8.1 Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Broad age Rural Urban Bangladesh
15-24 526 389 915 218 226 444 744 614 1358
25-29 216 287 503 120 150 270 335 437 772
30-64 188 206 394 80 73 152 267 279 546
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Unemployed as % of total unemployed
15-24 19.7 14.5 34.2 8.1 8.4 16.6 27.8 22.9 50.8
25-29 8.1 10.7 18.8 4.5 5.6 10.1 12.5 16.3 28.9
30-64 7.0 7.7 14.7 3.0 2.7 5.7 10.0 10.4 20.4
Total 34.7 32.9 67.7 15.6 16.7 32.3 50.3 49.7 100.0
68 | P a g e
Chart 8.2: Distribution of unemployed persons (in 000)
2000 by age group and area
1811
1500
1000
915 866
500
444 503
270 394 152
0
15-24 25-29 30+ Total
Rural Urban
Table 8.2 shows the distribution of the unemployed in terms of the quarters of survey period
2015-16 and finally yearly estimate. It is observed from the table below that, the total number
of unemployed persons varied between 2.4 million and 2.9 million over the quarters.
Table 8.2 Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in 000)
Q1 736 708 1444 447 549 996 1183 1257 2440
Q2 1019 905 1923 424 363 787 1443 1267 2710
Q3 951 1035 1986 416 453 869 1367 1488 2855
Q4 1012 878 1891 382 428 810 1394 1307 2701
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Table 8.3 reflects the distribution of the unemployed in terms of their education level. Of those
who were unemployed in 2016-17, 300 (at 11.2 per cent) thousand had no formal education,
about 428 thousand (at 16.0 per cent) had completed primary school, 897 thousand (at 33.5 per
cent) had finished secondary school, 638 thousand (at 23.8 per cent) had finished higher
secondary school, 405 thousand (at 15.1 per cent) had graduated from university and nine
thousand persons had other forms of education.
Table 8.3 Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Education qualification Rural Urban Bangladesh
None 105 143 248 21 30 51 126 173 300
Primary 150 170 320 52 56 108 202 226 428
Secondary 301 329 630 122 145 267 422 474 897
Tertiary 134 82 217 100 88 188 234 171 405
Others 8 0 8 2 0 2 9 0 9
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Unemployed as % of total unemployed
None 3.9 5.4 9.3 0.8 1.1 1.9 4.7 6.5 11.2
Primary 5.6 6.4 12.0 1.9 2.1 4.0 7.5 8.5 16.0
Secondary 11.2 12.3 23.5 4.5 5.4 10.0 15.8 17.7 33.5
Secondary 8.6 5.9 14.5 4.5 4.8 9.3 13.2 10.6 23.8
Tertiary 5.0 3.1 8.1 3.7 3.3 7.0 8.8 6.4 15.1
Others 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.4
Total 34.7 32.9 67.7 15.6 16.7 32.3 50.3 49.7 100.0
69 | P a g e
8.3 Unemployment rate
The unemployment rate signals to some extent the underutilization of the labour supply. It
reflects the inability of an economy to generate employment for those persons who want to
work but are not doing so, even though they are available for employment and actively seeking
work. It is thus seen as an indicator of the efficiency and effectiveness of an economy to absorb
its labour force and of the performance of the labour market. The unemployment rate is defined
as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.
BBS has defined the unemployment rate (also known as the level of unemployment) as the
number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the total labour force.
100%
Chart 8.2: Unemployment rate by quarter and sex
7.0 6.7 7.0 6.8

6.4
4.3 4.2 4.2 4.0 4.2

3.1 3.0 2.9 2.9 3.0
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Male Female Total
8.4 Unemployment rate by age group

The overall estimated unemployment rate (defined as the unemployed as a percentage of the
labour force) was 4.2 per cent, it was 4.9 for urban and 4.0 for rural (table 8.4). The highest
unemployment rate was found among youths, those aged 15-24 (12.3 per cent), followed by
those aged 25-34 years (5.7 per cent).
Table 8.4 Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Broad age Rural Urban Total
15-24 9.9 16.4 11.9 10.6 17.4 13.2 10.1 16.8 12.3
25-34 3.7 8.3 5.4 4.0 10.9 6.2 3.8 9.0 5.7
35-44 0.8 2.0 1.2 0.9 2.4 1.3 0.8 2.1 1.2
45-54 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8
55+ 0.7 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
70 | P a g e
Chart 8.3 includes an unemployment rate by sex and age group. At the national level, female
unemployment rate (6.7 per cent) was quite higher than that of male counterpart (3.1 per cent).
Unemployment rate was higher in each of the age group of females than males.
Chart 8.3: Unemployment rate by age group and sex

18.0
16.0
16.8
14.0
12.0 13.1
12.3
10.0
8.0 10.1
8.5
6.0
6.7
4.0 5.9
4.2
2.0 0.9 2.2 1.3 3.1
0.0
15-24 25-29 30-64 Total
Male Female Total
8.5 Unemployment rate by level of education

Table 8.5 illustrates that unemployment rate was highest in Higher secondary group (14.9 per cent),
followed by Tertiary level (11.2 per cent) level, Others education group (4.6 per cent) and
Secondary (4.6 per cent) level. For the less educated (primary 2.7 per cent, none 1.5 per cent) group,
the unemployment rate was less than the national average at 4.2 per cent (Chart 8.4).
Table 8.5 Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by education, sex and area
Education Rural Urban Total

None 1.0 2.5 1.6 0.9 2.2 1.4 1.0 2.5 1.5
Primary 1.8 4.8 2.7 1.7 4.8 2.6 1.8 4.8 2.7
Secondary 3.4 6.8 4.6 2.8 9.4 4.5 3.2 7.4 4.6
Tertiary 11.1 26.1 14.2 6.2 18.3 9.0 8.3 21.4 11.2
Others 4.8 0.0 4.4 5.6 2.5 5.5 4.9 0.3 4.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Chart 8.4: Unemployment rate by level of

ed ucat i on and se x
Male Female Total
26.2
21.4
14.9
11.2
11.1
8.3
7.4
6.7
4.8
4.6
4.2
3.2
3.1
2.7
2.5
1.8
1.5
1.0
None Primary Secondary Higher Tertiary Total

Secondary
71 | P a g e
8.6 Unemployment rate by literacy status
Chart 8.5 illustrates that unemployment rate was highest in literate persons (5.3 per cent) than
that of illiterate persons (1.7 per cent). Unemployment rate was highest for urban females (11.2
per cent), followed by rural females at 7.6 per cent. For both rural and urban areas,
unemployment rate for male and females was higher for literate persons than non-literate
persons.
Chart 8.5: Unemployment rate by literacy, area and sex
11.2
8.6
7.6
5.7
5.1 5.3
4.0 3.8 3.9
2.8 2.5 2.8
1.1 1.7 1.0 1.5 1.0 1.7

Rural Urban Total
Literate Not literate
As shown in Table 8.6, unemployment rate for the literate persons is higher than illiterate
persons in both urban and rural areas for both sexes. Literate persons reflected the higher
unemployment rate for females in urban areas, at 11.2 per cent, compared with 7.6 per cent for
females of the rural areas and 8.6 per cent at the national level for female literate persons. A
wide gap is evident between the unemployment rate by literacy and illiteracy.
Table 8.6: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by literacy, area and sex
(in 000)
Literacy Rural Urban Total
Unemployment rate
Literate
4.0 7.6 5.1 3.8 11.2 5.7 3.9 8.6 5.3
Not-literate
1.1 2.8 1.7 1.0 2.5 1.5 1.0 2.8 1.7
Total
3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
72 | P a g e
8.7 Unemployed persons by mode of looking for job
To better capture all forms of unemployment, a usual relaxed definition was used in the survey,
based on the following three criteria:
(i) not employed-during last seven days;
(ii) job search in the past 30 days; and
(iii) availability to start work in the past seven days.
Those who satisfied the first two criteria, was requested to answer the mode of looking for job.
The chart 8.6 below shown the distribution of the mode of looking for job by the unemployed
persons.
Table 8.7 illustrates the mode of looking for job of unemployed aged 15 or older, by area and
sex. Requesting friends / relatives for job was the highest (38.1 per cent) mode of searching for
job at the national level, followed by newspaper advertisement (22.6 per cent), visiting firm
(16.0 per cent). Applying though internet was only 6.9 per cent at the rural areas, whereas it
was 14.5 per cent at the urban areas.
Table 8.7 Mode of looking for job of unemployed aged 15 or older, by area and sex
Mode of looking for job Rural Urban Total

Government employment
center 5.2 5.3 5.2 6.5 7.2 6.9 5.6 5.9 5.8
Private employer 1.1 0.4 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.6 1.0 0.4 0.7
Private employment centre 1.9 3.3 2.6 1.5 2.3 1.9 1.8 3.0 2.4
Visiting factory / farm 6.2 2.7 4.5 36.2 43.6 40.0 15.5 16.5 16.0
Friends / relatives 44.0 62.0 52.8 9.0 5.8 7.4 33.2 43.1 38.1
Newspaper advert 24.3 17.8 21.1 24.3 27.0 25.7 24.3 20.9 22.6
Internet 8.7 5.0 6.9 16.0 13.1 14.5 10.9 7.7 9.4
Exploring opportunity to
run own firm 5.7 2.9 4.3 4.4 0.3 2.3 5.3 2.0 3.6
Waited on the street to be
recruited 1.8 0.4 1.1 0.8 0.0 0.4 1.5 0.3 0.9
Others 1.1 0.2 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.3 0.9 0.2 0.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Chart 8.6: Distribution of total unemployed by mode of

looking for job of unemployed and sex
Male Female
Others 0.9 0.2

Waited on the street to be recruited 1.5 0.3
Exploring opportunity to run own firm 5.3 2.0
Internet 10.9 7.7
Newspaper advert 24.3 20.9
Friends / relatives 33.2 43.1
Visiting factory / farm 15.5 16.5
Private employment centre 1.8 3.0
Private employer 1.0 0.4
Government employment centre 5.6 5.9
73 | P a g e
8.8 Reasons for not looking for job
Chart 8.7 illustrates the reasons for not looking for job by the persons not in the labour force
aged 15 or older, by area and sex. Housework/family work was the prime reason (64.5 per
cent) for not looking for job at the national level for both sexes; among females, it was the
highest (81.1 per cent) whereas it was only 8.1 per cent among males.
Chart 8.7: Distribution of persons aged 15 years or over

by reasons for not looking for job and sex
Others (specify) 5.8 1.6
No desire work 2.1 0.9
Indequate work 3.0 0.6
Housework/ family work 8.1 81.1
In School / training 49.2 11.7
Illness injury 25.3 3.1
Awaiting for setting self business 2.3 0.0
Off season 2.3 0.2
No jobs available 1.7 0.7
Awaiting for joining 0.3 0.1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Male Female
Table 8.8 also illustrates that Housework/family work was the highest reason for females (81.1
per cent) for not looking for job by the persons not in the labour force at the national level,
whereas it was in school/training for male (49.2 per cent) counterparts.
Table 8.8: Not looking for job aged 15 or older outside labour force, by reason, area and sex
Reasons for not looking Rural Urban Total

for job Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Waiting for joining 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.1
No jobs available 2.0 0.8 1.1 0.6 0.3 0.3 1.7 0.7 0.9
Off season 2.9 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.3 0.4 2.3 0.2 0.7
Waiting for setting self-
business 2.0 0.0 0.5 2.7 0.0 0.6 2.3 0.0 0.5
Illness injury 25.2 3.5 8.7 23.1 2.1 6.5 25.3 3.1 8.1
In School / training 48.4 11.5 20.4 51.7 13.0 21.2 49.2 11.7 20.3
Housework/ family work 8.7 80.5 63.2 9.2 81.7 66.3 8.1 81.1 64.5
Inadequate work 2.9 0.6 1.2 2.7 0.5 0.9 3.0 0.6 1.1
No desire work 2.3 1.1 1.4 2.4 0.6 1.0 2.1 0.9 1.2
Others (specify) 5.3 1.6 2.5 6.6 1.4 2.5 5.8 1.6 2.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
74 | P a g e
8.9 Trends in unemployment rate
Chart 8.8: Trends of unemployment rate by quarter

and sex
Bangladesh Male Female
8.0
7.3 7.4
7.0 6.8 7.0 7.0
6.7 6.7 6.6
6.4 6.4 6.3
6.0
5.0
4.3 4.3 4.2 4.3 4.5 4.3
4.0 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.0 3.9
3.1 3.1 3.3 3.1 3.2
3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.7
2.0
1.0
0.0
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Chart 8.9: Trends of unemployed persons (million)

by quarter and sex
2.9
2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7
2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6
2.5 2.4
1.4 1.5 1.4

1.4 1.4 1.4
1.3 1.4 1.3
1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
1.2 1.2
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Total Male Female
75 | P a g e
Chart 8.10: Trends of unemployment rate
by quarter and area
Rural Urban
7.0
5.8 5.6
6.0
5.2
4.7 4.9 4.9
5.0 4.6
4.4 4.4 4.24.3 4.3
4.1 4.1 4.03.9 4.0 4.1
3.7 3.8 3.9
4.0
3.2
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
2013 2015-16 2016-17
Chart 8.11: Trends of unemployment rate by education

attainment and year
14.9
12.1
11.2
8.3
6.6
4.4 4.6 4.6 4.2 4.2
2.2 1.5 2.5 2.7

Secondary
2015-16 2016-17
76 | P a g e
Chapter 9
Youth employment and unemployment
This chapter describes the characteristics of the youth population, covering such topics as youth
labour force participation, youth employment, youth unemployment and youth not in
employment. The youth unemployment rate is defined as the proportion of the youth labour
force that is unemployed. The age of youth was defined as 15-24 and 15–29 years; it is also
disaggregated by five-year age groups, those aged 15–19, 20-24 and 25–29. The age of youth
was also defined as 18-35 years by the department of youth, Bangladesh.
9.1 Youth labour force participation

As shown in table 9.1, more than 20.0 million youth aged 15–29 participated in the labour
force, with a number of male (13.1 million) and female (7.0 million) youth among them. Their
proportion within the total labour force represented 33.5 per cent. The youth labour force
proportion was higher in rural areas, at 32.0 per cent, than in the urban areas, at 30.8 per cent.
Table 9.1 Proportion of youth labour force in total labour force, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-19 2347 748 3095 865 509 1374 3212 1257 4469
20-24 2981 1615 4596 1194 786 1980 4176 2401 6576
25-29 3870 2377 6247 1838 953 2791 5708 3329 9038
Total youth 9198 4740 13938 3898 2247 6145 13096 6987 20083
Total labour force 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Youth labour force as % in total labour force
15-19 7.6 5.0 6.8 6.8 10.1 7.7 7.4 6.3 7.0
20-24 9.7 10.8 10.1 9.3 15.7 11.1 9.6 12.0 10.4
25-29 12.6 15.9 13.7 14.4 19.0 15.7 13.1 16.7 14.2
Total youth 29.9 31.7 30.5 30.5 44.8 34.5 30.1 35.0 31.6
Chart 9.1: Proportion of youth labour force in total labour force by

age group
Total 31.6
25-29 14.2
20-24 10.4
15-19 7.0
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0
79 | P a g e
9.2 Youth employment by age group
As shown in table 9.2, an estimated 17.9 million youth (89.4 per cent) were employed of the
total 20.1 million youth labour force (table 9.1) aged 15–29 years, with large difference in
numbers between male youth (at 12.0 million) and female youth (at 5.9 million).
Table 9.2 Proportion of employed youth in total employment, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-19 2103 599 2701 766 436 1202 2869 1035 3904
20-24 2699 1376 4075 1076 633 1708 3775 2009 5783
25-29 3655 2090 5744 1719 802 2521 5373 2892 8265
Total youth 8457 4064 12521 3560 1871 5432 12017 5936 17952
Total
employment 29809 12372 42182 14076 4570 18646 43885 16943 60828
Youth as % of total employed
15-19 7.1 4.8 6.4 5.4 9.6 6.4 6.5 6.1 6.4
20-24 9.1 11.1 9.7 7.6 13.8 9.2 8.6 11.9 9.5
25-29 12.3 16.9 13.6 12.2 17.6 13.5 12.2 17.1 13.6
Total 28.4 32.8 29.7 25.3 41.0 29.1 27.4 35.0 29.5
9.3 Youth unemployment by age group

Of the youth labour force population aged 15–29 (20.1 million-table 9.1), an estimated 2.1
million of them (10.6 per cent) were unemployed (table 9.3). The unemployed male youths
(1.08 million) were larger than the female youths (1.05 million). The proportion of unemployed
youth in total unemployment was smaller in rural areas (78.3 per cent) than in the urban areas
(82.4 per cent). Overall, 79.6 per cent of total unemployed were youth.
Table 9.3 Proportion of unemployed youth aged 15–29 in total unemployment, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-19 244 150 393 99 72 172 343 222 565
20-24 282 239 521 119 153 272 401 392 793
25-29 216 287 503 120 150 270 335 437 772
Sub-Total 742 676 1417 338 376 713 1079 1051 2131
Total Unemployed 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Youth unemployed as % of total unemployed
15-19 26.2 17.0 21.7 23.8 16.2 19.9 25.5 16.7 21.1
20-24 30.4 27.1 28.8 28.4 34.1 31.4 29.8 29.5 29.6
25-29 23.2 32.6 27.8 28.6 33.5 31.1 24.9 32.9 28.9
Total 79.8 76.6 78.3 80.9 83.8 82.4 80.2 79.0 79.6
Youth unemployed as % of total youth
15-19 1.2 0.7 2.0 0.5 0.4 0.9 1.7 1.1 2.8
20-24 1.4 1.2 2.6 0.6 0.8 1.4 2.0 2.0 3.9
25-29 1.1 1.4 2.5 0.6 0.7 1.3 1.7 2.2 3.8
Total 3.7 3.4 7.1 1.7 1.9 3.6 5.4 5.2 10.6
80 | P a g e
As indicated in table 9.4, the largest share of the unemployed youth had completed secondary
school (0.75 million or 28.0 per cent), followed by those who had completed higher secondary
school (0.60 million or 22.3 per cent) and then tertiary completed (0.39 million or 13.4 per
cent). Of the total unemployed youths, 66.5 per cent from the rural area and the rest 33.5 per
cent from the urban areas.
Table 9.4 Unemployed youth aged 15–29 in total unemployment, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Education level Rural Urban Bangladesh
Youth unemployed as % of total unemployed
None 3.3 6.7 4.9 1.0 3.1 2.1 2.6 5.5 4.0
Primary 12.1 12.9 12.5 10.4 9.6 10.0 11.6 11.8 11.7
Secondary 27.0 32.0 29.4 22.5 27.4 25.0 25.6 30.4 28.0
Higher secondary 23.7 16.7 20.3 26.0 26.9 26.4 24.4 20.1 22.3
Tertiary 13.1 8.4 10.8 20.8 16.9 18.7 15.5 11.2 13.4
Others 0.7 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.0 0.3
Total youth unemployed 79.8 76.6 78.3 80.9 83.8 82.4 80.2 79.0 79.6
9.4 Youth unemployment rate

The youth unemployment rate is defined as the proportion of unemployed youth to the total
persons in the youth labour force. As shown in table 9.5, the estimated youth unemployment
rate was 10.6 per cent (8.2 per cent for males and 15.0 per cent for females). In urban areas,
the results reveal a youth unemployment rate of 11.6 percent, with the higher rate for females
16.7 per cent compared with at 8.7 per cent for males, while the results reveal a youth
unemployment rate of 10.2 per cent, with the higher rate for females, at 14.3 per cent, compared
with 8.1 per cent for males in rural areas.
Table 9.5 Youth aged 15-29 unemployment rate, by age group, sex and area

15-19 10.4 20.0 12.7 11.5 14.2 12.5 10.7 17.7 12.7
20-24 9.5 14.8 11.3 9.9 19.5 13.7 9.6 16.3 12.1
25-29 5.6 12.1 8.0 6.5 15.8 9.7 5.9 13.1 8.5
Youths 8.1 14.3 10.2 8.7 16.7 11.6 8.2 15.0 10.6
National 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Chart 9.2: Unemployment rate of youths by age group and sex

20.0
18.0
16.0 17.7
14.0 16.3
15.0
12.0 13.1
12.7 12.1
10.0
10.7 10.6
8.0 9.6
8.5 8.2
6.0
6.7
4.0 5.9
2.0 4.2
3.1
0.0
15-19 20-24 25-29 Youths National
Male Female Total
81 | P a g e
9.5 Unemployed youth by duration of unemployment
As shown in table 9.6, less than half (46.9 per cent) but the largest share of the unemployed
youth at the time of the survey had been unemployed for 1-6 months, followed by 21.0 per cent
had been unemployed for 6-12 months, 12.5 per cent had been unemployed for 1-2 years at the
time of survey. Only 6.8 per cent had been unemployed for two years or more.
Table 9.6 Unemployed youth aged 15–29, by duration in unemployment, sex and area
(in 000)
Duration of Rural Urban Bangladesh
unemployment Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
< 1 month 15.3 11.5 13.5 11.1 11.5 11.3 14.0 11.5 12.8
1-6 months 49.6 41.7 45.8 51.6 46.4 48.9 50.3 43.4 46.9
6-12 months 20.9 23.0 21.9 21.1 17.8 19.3 20.9 21.1 21.0
1-2 years 12.4 14.3 13.3 9.5 12.2 10.9 11.5 13.6 12.5
2 years and above 1.8 9.5 5.5 6.7 12.1 9.5 3.4 10.4 6.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
As indicated in table 9.7 below, the largest share of the unemployed youth for the long term
(1-2 years or 2 years or more) had completed the tertiary education level (17.8 per cent and
11.2 per cent respectively), followed by those who had completed higher secondary school
(14.4 per cent and 4.0 per cent) and then secondary school completed (11.2 per cent and 6.6
per cent). It was observed that, there was a positive relationship between level of education and
duration of youth unemployment.
Table 9.7 Unemployed youth aged 15–29, by duration in unemployment, and education
Education <1 month 1-6 month 6-12 month 1-2 years 2+ years Total
None 23.5 44.5 16.9 11.1 4.1 100.0

Primary 19.1 51.1 14.0 6.7 9.1 100.0
Secondary 15.1 46.6 20.5 11.2 6.6 100.0
Higher Secondary 8.8 49.2 23.6 14.4 4.0 100.0
Tertiary 5.8 40.2 25.0 17.8 11.2 100.0
Others 9.0 51.9 34.2 4.9 0.0 100.0
Total 12.8 46.9 21.0 12.5 6.8 100.0
Chart 9.3: Unemployed youth, by duration in

unemployment, and educatione
<1 month 1-6 month 6-12 month 1-2 years 2+ years
Total 12.8 46.9 21.0 12.5 6.8
Others 9.0 51.9 34.2 4.9 0.0
Tertiary 5.8 40.2 25.0 17.8 11.2
Higher Secondary 8.8 49.2 23.6 14.4 4.0
Secondary 15.1 46.6 20.5 11.2 6.6
Primary 19.1 51.1 14.0 6.7 9.1
None 23.5 44.5 16.9 11.1 4.1
82 | P a g e
9.6 Youth not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET):
The share of youth not in education, employment or training (NEET) conveys the number of
young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth
population. It provides a measure of youth who are outside the educational system, not in
training and not in employment, and thus serves as a broader measure of potential youth labour
market entrants than youth unemployment, since it also includes young persons outside the
labour force not in education or training.
NEET youth can be either unemployed or inactive and not involved in education or training.
Young people who are neither in employment nor in education or training are at risk of
becoming socially excluded- individuals with income below the poverty-line and lacking the
skills to improve their economic situation.
This indicator is also a better measure of the current universe of potential youth labour market
entrants compared to the youth inactivity rate, as the latter includes those youth who are not in
the labour force and are in education, and thus cannot be considered currently available for
work. More generally, a high NEET rate and a low youth unemployment rate may indicate
significant discouragement of young people.
Given its usefulness in conveying valuable information on the labour market situation of a
country’s young population, it was included as one of the indicators proposed to measure
progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), under Goal8
(Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all).
Chart 9.4: Distribution of NEET youths aged 15-29 years by sex
Male
13%
Female
87%
As shown in Chart 9.4, among the NEET youths, 13.0 per cent were male and the rest 87.0 per
cent were females. A high NEET rate for young women suggests their engagement in
household chores, and/or the presence of institutional barriers limiting female participation in
labour markets.
83 | P a g e
Table 9.8: NEET youth aged 15-29, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-19 577 1481 2058 191 526 717 768 2007 2775
20-24 352 2864 3216 133 1231 1364 485 4095 4580
25-29 245 3010 3255 101 1569 1670 346 4579 4925
Total 1174 7355 8529 426 3326 3751 1600 10680 12280
NEET as % of youth 15-29 working age population
15-19 10.0 31.8 19.7 9.0 24.5 16.8 9.7 29.5 18.9
20-24 8.9 60.0 36.8 8.0 53.4 34.3 8.6 57.8 36.0
25-29 6.0 57.6 34.9 5.1 62.5 37.3 5.7 59.2 35.7
Total 8.5 50.2 29.9 7.4 47.8 29.5 8.1 49.4 29.8
Percent distribution of total NEET
15-19 4.7 12.1 16.8 1.6 4.3 5.8 6.3 16.3 22.6
20-24 2.9 23.3 26.2 1.1 10.0 11.1 4.0 33.3 37.3
25-29 2.0 24.5 26.5 0.8 12.8 13.6 2.8 37.3 40.1
Total 9.6 59.9 69.5 3.5 27.1 30.5 13.0 87.0 100.0
As indicated in table 9.8, the largest share of the NEET youth were from the age group 25-25
(4.9 million or 40.1 per cent), followed by those who belongs to 20-24 age group (4.6 million
or 37.3 per cent) and then 15-19 age group (2.8 million or 22.6 per cent). Of the total NEET
youths, 69.5 per cent from the rural area and the rest 30.5 per cent from the urban areas. Overall,
29.8 per cent of the working age population aged 15-29 were not in education, employment or
training.
Chart 9.5: NEET youths as % of working age population,

by age group, sex
70.0
57.8 59.2
60.0
49.4
50.0
40.0 36.0 35.7

29.5 29.8
30.0
18.9
20.0
9.7 8.6 8.1
10.0 5.7
0.0
15-19 20-24 25-29 Total
Male Female Total
As shown in Chart 9.5, NEET rate (NEET as % of working age population) varies widely by
sex in each age group. It was represented 29.8 per cent for both sex, 8.1 per cent for male and
49.4 per cent for female within the youth aged 15-29 years of working age population.
84 | P a g e
Chapter 10
Earnings from employment
This chapter presents information on earnings from employment, including frequency of
payment, average monthly income by occupation and industry. For the survey, data on wages
and salaries were collected only from paid employees and not from people who were self-
employed or contributory family helper. All other forms of income (remittances, rental income,
bank interest, etc.) received by paid employees were excluded. Wage and salary earnings can be
of two types, in cash or in kind, and information was collected on both. Earnings paid in cash or
by cheque or direct bank deposit was considered as cash earnings. Earnings in kind included the
regular supply of food, clothing, housing, water, electricity, fuel, transport, etc. on a free or
subsidized basis.
10.1 Frequency of payment of the paid employees

As shown in table 10.1 and chart 10.1, of an estimated 24.2 million paid employees, 56.7 per cent
paid monthly, followed by 34.5 per cent were paid daily, 7.3 per cent paid weekly and 1.5 per
cent paid on some other basis. Frequency of payment to the paid employees varies widely
between sex and locality.
Table 10.1 Employed population aged 15 or older, by frequency of wage/salary payment, sex and area
(in 000)
Mode of Rural Urban Bangladesh
payment Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Daily 5971 647 6618 1531 183 1714 7502 831 8332
Weekly 1064 196 1260 415 97 512 1479 293 1772
Monthly 4691 2075 6766 4322 2623 6944 9012 4698 13710
Others 199 59 258 76 23 99 276 82 357
Total 11925 2978 14903 6344 2925 9270 18269 5903 24172
%
Daily 50.1 21.7 44.4 24.1 6.3 18.5 41.1 14.1 34.5
Weekly 8.9 6.6 8.5 6.5 3.3 5.5 8.1 5.0 7.3
Monthly 39.3 69.7 45.4 68.1 89.7 74.9 49.3 79.6 56.7
Others 1.7 2.0 1.7 1.2 0.8 1.1 1.5 1.4 1.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Chart 10.1: Mode of payment of paid employees
Others, 1.5
Daily, 34.5
Monthly, 56.7
Weekly, 7.3
87 | P a g e
Table 10.2 reflects that, more than 95 per cent of the workers of the highly skilled occupations
viz. Managers (97.1 per cent), Professionals (96.7 per cent) paid on a monthly basis, followed by
Clerical Support Workers (94.0 per cent), other occupations (94.9 per cent) and Service and Sales
Workers (80.6 per cent). Most of the workers paid on a daily basis were those in Skilled
Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries (61.6 per cent) and Elementary occupations (69.5 per cent).
Table 10.2 Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation and frequency of wage payment
Occupation Daily Weekly Monthly Others Total
Managers 2.2 0.3 97.1 0.4 100.0

Professionals 2.2 0.6 96.7 0.6 100.0
Technicians and Associate Professionals 7.8 1.9 88.3 1.9 100.0
Clerical Support Workers 4.6 0.7 94.0 0.8 100.0
Service and Sales Workers 15.1 3.4 80.6 0.9 100.0
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries 61.6 11.6 21.4 5.3 100.0
Craft and Related Trades Workers 27.8 12.5 57.7 1.9 100.0
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assembler 25.1 12.2 60.4 2.4 100.0
Elementary Occupations 69.5 7.1 22.3 1.2 100.0
Other Occupations 1.2 0.4 94.9 3.5 100.0
Total 34.5 7.3 56.7 1.5 100.0
10.2 Average monthly income by occupation & industry

As noted, information on income (wages and salaries) was analyzed from employees in their
main job/activity, in cash and in kind. Where information on earnings in the main job was not
paid on a monthly basis, it was converted into a monthly basis. All amounts were recorded in
Bangladesh Taka.
As shown in table 10.3, the estimated average monthly income of paid employees in 2016-17 was Tk.
13,258. On average, males earned, at Tk. 13583 which was slightly more than what female employees
earned, at Tk 12254. In the urban areas, managers earned the highest average monthly income, at Tk.
41473, followed by professionals, at Tk. 29349. In some occupations, the difference in the earnings
between male and female employees was wide, particularly for Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and
Fisheries and Elementary Occupations. In general, the average monthly income of employees in urban
areas (Tk. 15912) was higher than in rural areas (Tk. 11608).
Table 10.3 Average monthly income from employment (wage/salary), by occupation, sex and area

Managers 25357 22850 25117 42137 36700 41473 36133 32588 35734
Professionals 23578 23253 23471 31172 26553 29349 27009 24981 26278
Professionals 18773 19148 18845 23703 21630 23308 21267 20395 21100
Clerical Support Workers 14452 12980 14243 18219 16199 17842 16300 14821 16056
Service and Sales Workers 11434 10718 11304 12594 11937 12505 11969 11175 11841
Skilled Agricultural,
Forestry and Fisheries 9549 7803 9267 9648 8292 9434 9559 7853 9284
Craft and Related Trades
Workers 10465 9558 10268 11141 10103 10750 10730 9877 10484
Plant and Machine
Operators, and Assembler 11765 11490 11724 12717 10997 12410 12165 11256 12018
Elementary Occupations 8720 7002 8392 9068 7693 8392 8773 7297 8392
Other Occupations 24413 22287 24361 29432 22562 29037 26198 22444 26060
Total 11708 11206 11608 17106 13321 15912 13583 12254 13258
88 | P a g e
As shown in Chart 10.2, the estimated average monthly income of male paid employees was
Taka 13.6 thousand, which was slightly more than what female employees earned, at Taka 12.3
thousand. In some occupations, the difference in the earnings between male and female
employees was wide, particularly for skilled agriculture, and elementary workers.
Chart 10.2: Average monthly income by occupations

('000 taka)
Male Female
Total 13.6 12.3

Elementary Occupations 8.8 7.3
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries 9.6 7.9
Craft and Related Trades Workers 10.7 9.9
Service and Sales Workers 12.0 11.2
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers 12.2 11.3
Clerical Support Workers 16.3 14.8
Technicians and Associate Professionals 21.3 20.4
Other Occupations 26.2 22.4
Professionals 27.0 25.0
Managers 36.1 32.6
By industry (table 10.4), the financial and insurance sector paid the highest average monthly
wage, at Tk 32278, followed by the Real estate activities, at 27529, Electricity, gas, steam and
air conditioner, at Tk. 27489, each of which paid an average monthly income of more than Tk
27000. The lowest monthly average income was from the Activities of households as employers’
sector (at Tk. 8041), Agriculture, forestry and fishing (at Tk. 8712) and Mining and quarrying
sector (at Tk. 9818).
Industry Rural Urban Bangladesh

Agriculture, forestry and
fishing 8888 7368 8677 9255 8505 9143 8915 7460 8712
Mining and quarrying 9430 12627 9504 14448 8204 13907 9767 11636 9818
Manufacturing 11859 9813 11359 14570 10346 12856 12983 10132 12068
Electricity, gas, steam and air
conditioner 17051 17842 17103 38179 17023 35847 28503 17289 27489
Water supply, sewerage,
waste management 15971 6081 12543 20480 14346 18963 18955 10610 16584
Construction 9650 8703 9561 10624 9658 10569 9951 8900 9864
Wholesale and retail trade,
repair of motor vehicle 11477 10862 11363 14042 12497 13892 12819 11419 12620
Transportation and storage 11038 11199 11055 13307 15788 13488 11918 12613 11981
Accommodation and food
service activities 11320 9570 10945 15056 10932 14176 12904 10145 12314
Information and
communication 14969 19313 15463 27681 21404 27070 24158 20749 23810
Financial and insurance
activities 19917 14353 19050 39868 30717 38104 33576 26418 32278
Real estate activities 12948 14280 13169 30026 44906 30755 27215 31669 27529
Professional, scientific and
technical 18453 9129 17540 29532 22443 28585 24754 17809 23931
89 | P a g e

Administrative and support
service activities 14193 13332 14086 18322 22161 18997 16229 18563 16581
Public administration and
defense 20818 17406 20421 27872 24376 27283 24518 21795 24125
Education 22935 21797 22536 26790 23568 25270 24426 22701 23730
Human health and social work
activities 18908 18570 18727 27486 24405 25976 24630 22224 23414
Arts, entertainment and
recreation 13065 14660 13426 16857 21120 17134 15005 15949 15148
Other service activities 14430 12580 13960 15546 13026 14942 14811 12724 14291
employers 8893 7567 7857 9735 7686 8142 9441 7644 8041
organization 12952 12000 12849 27040 13746 25206 23251 13368 21967
Total 11708 11206 11608 17106 13321 15912 13583 12254 13258
10.3 Average monthly income by age group

In general, as shown in table 10.5, employees aged 45-54 in each area earned the highest average
monthly income (Tk. 15446) among all age groups. The data indicates the lowest average
monthly income (Tk. 10831) was among the youngest (15–24) in both urban and rural areas and
monthly income (Tk. 11580) was among the eldest (65+) in both urban and rural areas.
Table 10.5 Average monthly income from employment (wage/salary), by age group sex and area
15-24 10514 11225 10644 11137 11123 11131 10711 11166 10831
25-34 12007 11844 11972 15632 13667 14968 13349 12801 13204
35-44 11926 11354 11791 19424 14637 18055 14624 12738 14143
45-54 12687 10494 12292 22516 15226 20646 16175 12687 15446
55-64 12056 9126 11621 21868 13546 20348 15217 10797 14511
65+ 10684 7783 10391 15221 12954 14868 11835 9631 11580
Total 11708 11206 11608 17106 13321 15912 13583 12254 13258
Trends of average earnings of wage employees

Chart 10.3: Trends of average monthly income (in tk. 000)
by year and sex
Year 2013 2015-16 2016-17
13.6
13.3
13.1
12.9
12.3
12.1
11.6
11.5
11.1
Male Female Total
90 | P a g e
Chapter 11
Working hours, excessive hours and time-related underemployment
This chapter presents the findings on the working hours of employed persons, excessive hours of
work per week and time-related underemployment. The survey collected detailed information on
hours of work among employed persons aged 15 years or older. Respondents were asked about
the number of hours actually worked in the seven days prior to the survey interview.
11.1 Working hours

As reflected in chart 11.1, employed persons worked an estimated average of 48 hours a week in
2016-17, with male employees working more hours on average, at 52 hours, than female
employees, at 38 hours. The average working hours were fewer in rural areas, at 46 hours, then
in urban areas, at 51 hours and in city corporation areas, at 56 hours. Both male and female
employees in the urban areas worked more hours per week than their counterparts in the rural
areas.
Chart 11.1: Average number of hours employed persons

worked per week, by locality and sex
57 56
54 52
51 51 51
46 48
42
36 38
Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Rural Urban City corporation Bangladesh
By broad economic sector (table 11.1), the sectors with highest average of hours per week were
industry sector, at 54 hours, followed by service sector, at 53 hours. The lowest average of hours
worked in a week was found in the agriculture sector, at 39 hours.
Table 11.1 Average number of hours employed persons worked per week, by sector, sex and area
Status in Rural Urban Bangladesh

Agriculture 45 32 39 44 32 39 45 32 39
Industry 54 48 53 56 55 56 55 52 54
Service 55 44 53 56 46 54 55 45 53
Total 50 35 46 55 47 53 52 38 48
93 | P a g e
Chart 11.2: Average number of hours employed persons worked per
week, by sector and sex
60 55 54 56 54
52 52
46 48
50 45
39 38
40
32
30
20
10
0
Agriculture Industry Service Bangladesh
By industry (table 11.2), the sectors with highest average of hours per week were
Accommodation and food service activities and transportation and storage, at 58 hours,
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, at 57 hours, Manufacturing, at 55 hours.
However, minimum hours worked found in Agriculture, forestry and fishing, at 39 hours and
Education, at 41 hours.
Table 11.2 Average number of hours employed persons worked per week, by industry, sex and area

Agriculture, forestry and fishing 46 32 39 45 33 40 46 32 39
Mining and quarrying 52 42 52 53 41 52 52 42 52
Manufacturing 56 49 54 58 56 57 57 52 55
condition 51 51 51 50 51 50 50 51 50
Water supply, sewerage, waste
management 51 41 47 49 48 49 50 45 48
Construction 52 48 51 51 48 51 52 48 51
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of
motor 57 47 56 59 48 58 58 47 57
Transportation and storage 58 48 58 58 52 58 58 50 58
Accommodation and food service
activities 60 47 58 61 48 59 61 48 58
Information and communication 49 45 49 54 53 54 52 51 52
Financial and insurance activities 50 43 49 49 46 48 49 45 49
Professional, scientific and technical 50 47 50 51 47 50 50 47 50
Administrative and support service
activities 52 48 52 53 45 52 53 46 52
Public administration and defense 51 47 51 50 45 50 51 46 50
Education 41 42 42 40 41 41 41 42 41
activities 52 46 49 53 50 51 52 48 50
Arts, entertainment and recreation 45 38 43 49 47 49 47 42 45
Other service activities 54 40 48 57 41 50 55 41 49
Activities of households as employers 56 46 48 61 50 53 59 49 51
organizations 48 37 46 53 48 53 52 46 51
Total 51 36 46 55 47 53 52 38 48
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By occupation, the highest average of working hours per week was found in Plant and Machine
Operators, and Assemblers, at 58 hours. The second-highest average hours per week was in
Service and Sales Workers, at 57 hours, followed by Managers, Craft and Related Trades
Workers and other occupation workers, at 53 hours, Technicians and Associate Professionals, at
52 hours, Elementary Occupations, at 50 hours and Clerical Support Workers, at 49 hours. In
contrast, those in skilled agriculture work had the shortest week on average, at 38 (table 11.3
below).
Table 11.3 Average number of hours employed persons worked per week, by occupation, sex and area

Managers 54 48 54 54 49 53 54 48 53
Professionals 44 42 43 46 43 45 45 43 44
Technicians and Associate Professionals 54 46 53 53 48 52 53 47 52
Fisheries 44 31 38 44 32 38 44 31 38
Craft and Related Trades Workers 55 45 52 56 52 54 55 49 53
Assembler 58 50 57 60 55 59 59 52 58
Other Occupations 54 47 54 52 49 52 53 48 53
Total 51 36 46 55 47 53 52 38 48
By status in employment (table 11.4), the category with highest average of hours per week were
Employer, at 53 hours, followed by employee, at 52 hours, own account workers, at 47 hours.
The lowest average of hours worked in a week was found in the contributing family helpers, at
34 hours.
Table 11.4 Average number of hours employed persons worked per week, by status in employment, sex and
area
Male Female Total Male Male Female Total Female Total
Employer 51 41 51 57 48 56 53 43 53
Contributing family helper 40 31 33 47 32 38 41 31 34
Employee 52 49 51 54 52 54 53 50 52
Others 55 43 52 55 46 53 55 44 53
Total 51 36 46 55 47 53 52 38 48
Chart 11.3: Average number of hours employed persons

worked per week, by status in employmet and sex
Male, 55
Total, 53
Total, 53
Male, 53
Male, 53
Male, 53
Total, 52
Male, 52
Female, 50
Total, 48
Total, 47
Female, 44
Female, 43
Male, 41
Female, 38
Total, 34
Female, 33
Female, 31
Employer Own account Contributing Employee Others Total

worker family worker
95 | P a g e
Employed persons aged 15-29 years worked an average of 49 hours per week, followed by those
aged 30–64 years who worked on average of 48 hours a week. Employed aged 65 or older worked
an average of 41 hours per week (table 11.5).
Table 11.5 Average number of hours employed persons worked per week, by broad age group, sex and area

15-29 51 37 47 55 49 53 52 41 49
30-64 52 35 46 56 45 53 53 37 48
65+ 42 34 41 45 40 45 42 35 41
Total 51 36 46 55 47 53 52 38 48
11.2 Excessive hours of work

Excessive work defines as the states that in all establishments of any nature, the number of hours
worked by workers of either sex cannot exceed eight hours per day or 48 hours per week. The
indicator of employment in excessive working time provides information about the share of
employed persons whose hours of worked.
As table 11.6 indicates, around half (49.8 per cent) of total employed workers in all economic
activities worked more than 48 hours per week. More of them were male, at 63.5 per cent, than
female, at 18.7 per cent. And more of the male worked in urban areas, at 71.6 per cent, than in
rural areas, at 60.2 per cent.
Table 11.6 Persons (% of total employed) with excessive hours of work per week, by occupations, sex and area

Managers 66.3 38.2 63.6 68.3 37.6 64.8 67.6 37.8 64.4
Professionals 30.2 12.3 24.4 38.5 16.7 30.1 33.8 14.5 27.0
Professionals 67.1 27.8 61.2 66.7 33.9 61.8 66.9 30.8 61.5
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry
and Fisheries 39.2 3.1 21.5 42.2 5.2 24.5 39.4 3.3 21.7
Workers 72.1 32.5 61.0 75.0 60.5 69.8 73.2 45.5 64.5
Plant and Machine
Operators, and Assembler 80.7 46.8 77.7 86.1 68.2 84.0 82.6 55.9 80.0
Total 60.2 11.9 44.7 71.6 39.9 63.1 63.5 18.7 49.8
By occupation group, more workers with a work week longer than 48 hours were found in Plant
and Machine Operators, and Assemblers, at 80.0 per cent, followed by 77.2 per cent in Service
and Sales workers. The majority of workers with excessive hours in urban areas were in Plant
and Machine Operators, and Assemblers, at 84.0 per cent, followed by Service and Sales
Workers, at 79.2 per cent. In the rural areas, more workers with a work week longer than 48 hours
were in Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers occupations (77.7 per cent), followed by
Service and Sales Workers (75.8 per cent).
96 | P a g e
Table 11.7 below indicated that, by broad economic sector, the largest proportions of workers
with the longer hours work were in the Industry sector, at 69.1 per cent, while workers in the
Service sector, at 64.1 per cent, had excessively long weeks. In urban areas, the industry sector
had the largest share, at 75.0 per cent of employed workers with excessive work weeks. In rural
areas also, the Industry sector had the largest share of workers with excessive work weeks at 65.2
per cent, followed by the Service sector (64.0 per cent) and agriculture sector (26.2 per cent).
Table 11.7 Persons with excessive hours of work per week, by broad sector, sex and area
(in 000)
Broad age group Rural Urban Bangladesh
Agriculture 5485 470 5956 482 55 537 5968 525 6493
Industry 4215 640 4855 2664 1071 3735 6878 1711 8590
Service 8235 559 8794 5718 698 6416 13953 1257 15210
Total 17935 1670 19604 8864 1824 10688 26799 3494 30293
Excessive workers as % of total employed
Agriculture 44.0 4.6 26.2 44.4 6.1 27.0 44.0 4.7 26.3
Industry 72.3 39.7 65.2 77.2 69.9 75.0 74.1 54.4 69.1
Service 71.6 24.9 64.0 73.0 32.8 64.4 72.2 28.8 64.1
Total 60.2 11.9 44.7 71.6 39.9 63.1 63.5 18.7 49.8
By detailed categories of industry, table 11.8 shows that the Accommodation and food service
activities industry had the largest share, at 79.6 percent of employed workers with excessive work
weeks, followed by the Transportation and storage, at 78.6 per cent, Wholesale and retail trade,
repair of motor vehicles, at 75.8 per cent, Manufacturing, at 72.4 per cent. In urban areas, the
Transportation and storage had the largest share, at 79.9 per cent of employed workers, followed
by the Accommodation and food service activities, at 79.6 per cent, Manufacturing, at 79.5 per
cent, Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, at 78.5 per cent. In rural areas, the
Accommodation and food service activities industry had the largest share, at 79.6 per cent of
employed workers with excessive work weeks, followed by the Transportation and storage, at
77.9 per cent and Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, at 74.0 per cent.
Table 11.8 Persons with excessive hours of work per week, by industry, sex and area

Agriculture, forestry and fishing 44.0 4.6 26.2 44.4 6.1 27.0 44.0 4.7 26.3
Mining and quarrying 66.7 25.5 65.4 68.3 9.1 61.1 66.9 21.2 65.0
Manufacturing 77.2 41.1 67.0 84.6 71.4 79.5 80.1 56.5 72.4
conditions 61.2 57.2 61.0 53.6 56.5 53.9 57.4 56.8 57.3
Water supply, sewerage, waste
management 70.6 8.8 49.5 50.8 28.0 43.2 58.8 20.1 45.8
Construction 64.5 30.1 61.6 62.1 39.0 60.9 63.7 32.1 61.4
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of
motor vehicles 76.9 37.6 74.0 81.0 45.0 78.5 78.6 40.5 75.8
Transportation and storage 79.5 39.1 77.9 81.2 49.4 79.9 80.1 42.7 78.6
Accommodation and food service
activities 86.0 42.0 79.6 85.8 50.7 79.6 85.9 46.2 79.6
Information and communication 56.1 40.6 54.5 71.0 62.5 70.2 66.3 54.8 65.3
Financial and insurance activities 53.3 20.8 48.0 47.3 30.3 44.1 49.3 27.6 45.3
Real estate activities 67.7 38.0 65.3 75.0 18.4 73.4 73.1 28.7 71.2
Professional, scientific and technical 52.5 26.1 50.9 61.2 27.7 57.4 56.9 27.1 54.3
Administrative and support service
activities 67.6 52.4 66.3 67.1 28.3 62.9 67.4 39.3 64.6
Public administration and defense, 59.7 35.8 56.9 55.6 26.3 50.6 57.5 29.8 53.5
97 | P a g e
Table 11.8 Persons with excessive hours of work per week, by industry, sex and area

Education 16.8 8.3 13.8 12.7 9.3 11.1 15.2 8.8 12.6
activities 61.3 34.2 50.1 61.1 49.8 56.0 61.2 42.9 53.3
Arts, entertainment and recreation 47.7 22.9 41.2 51.8 69.4 56.0 49.3 39.2 46.7
Other service activities 68.0 17.9 47.5 73.3 23.7 52.1 69.8 20.0 49.1
employers, 74.4 29.8 39.8 85.4 43.4 52.9 81.5 38.5 48.2
organizations 29.2 0.0 26.0 72.1 72.6 72.1 60.5 56.8 60.0
Total 60.2 11.9 44.7 71.6 39.9 63.1 63.5 18.7 49.8
As reflected in table 11.9, by far, more aged 15-29 years had working weeks that stretched beyond
48 hours than the adult workers, at 53.3 per cent compared with 48.9 per cent with age group 30-
64. Few workers aged 65 or older worked excessively, at 38.5 per cent.
Table 11.9 Persons with excessive hours of work per week, by age group, sex and area

Persons with excessive hours as % of total employed
15-29 63.7 15.6 48.1 73.7 49.4 65.3 66.7 26.2 53.3
30-64 60.5 10.3 43.8 71.7 33.5 62.5 63.9 15.3 48.9
65+ 38.7 13.3 35.6 53.9 23.7 50.8 41.6 15.0 38.5
Total 60.2 11.9 44.7 71.6 39.9 63.1 63.5 18.7 49.8
By education attainment, more workers with a work week longer than 48 hours were found in
higher secondary and primary completed workers, at 53.6 per cent, and by 53.4 per cent
respectively. The majority of workers with excessive hours in urban areas were in secondary and
primary completed workers, at 69.2 per cent, followed by 67.9 per cent (table 11.10).
Table 11.10 Persons with excessive hours of work per week, by education, sex and area
(in 000)
None 5833 638 6471 1681 518 2199 7514 1156 8670
Primary 5249 400 5649 2259 567 2826 7507 967 8475
Secondary 5391 523 5913 3282 569 3852 8673 1092 9765
Tertiary 511 43 554 841 82 923 1352 124 1477
Others 70 1 72 16 0 17 87 2 88
Total 17935 1670 19604 8864 1824 10688 26799 3494 30293
None 57.3 11.6 41.3 69.9 39.5 59.2 59.7 17.0 44.7
Primary 63.8 11.8 48.7 76.1 50.5 69.1 67.1 21.5 54.0
Secondary 63.2 11.6 45.4 76.8 40.5 67.8 67.7 18.5 52.2
Tertiary 47.6 18.2 42.4 55.8 20.7 48.5 52.4 19.8 46.0
Others 45.2 9.3 42.4 60.5 31.4 59.0 47.5 11.5 44.8
Total 60.2 11.9 44.7 71.6 39.9 63.1 63.5 18.7 49.8
98 | P a g e
11.3 Time-related underemployment
The time-related underemployment rate is defined as the percentage of employed persons who
worked less than 40 hours during the reference period and were willing and available to work
more hours than what they actually worked. It includes all employed persons whose working
time in all jobs is “insufficient in relation to an alternative employment situation in which the
person is willing and available to engage”.
The criteria for defining time-related underemployment are:

i. willingness to work additional hours;
ii. availability to work additional hours and
iii. having worked less than a threshold of working hours (40 hours per week), which is the
normal number of working hours per week– eight hours per day, for five days.
11.3.1 Underemployed by type and reasons for looking for job

Of all employed persons who worked less than 40 hours in a week in the country in 2016-17, an
estimated 1.5 million employed persons (2.4 per cent) were looking for new/additional jobs (table
11.11). Of them, 1.0 million were employed male (2.2 per cent) and 0.5 were employed female
(2.9 per cent). And the majority of them lived in rural areas, at 1.1 million persons (2.6 per cent),
compared with 0.3 million persons (1.9 per cent) in urban areas.
Table 11.11 Persons looking for additional hours/new work by underemployed (40 hours), sex and area
(in 000)
Looking for additional Rural Urban Bangladesh
work /new job Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Yes (Additional work) 256 175 431 74 47 120 329 222 551
Yes (New job) 464 244 708 133 73 206 597 317 914
Total Looking for
additional job 719 419 1139 207 119 326 926 539 1465
Total employed 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Underemployed as % of total employed
Yes (Additional work) 0.9 1.2 1.0 0.6 1.0 0.7 0.8 1.2 0.9
Yes (New job) 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.1 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.7 1.5
Total Looking for
additional/new job 2.4 3.0 2.6 1.7 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.9 2.4
Total employed 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Of all employed persons who worked less than 40 hours in a week in the country in 2016-17, an
estimated 1.5 million employed persons were looking for new/additional jobs (table 11.12). Of
them, 1.0 million were employed male and 0.5 were employed female.
By reasons for looking for job (table 11.12) by the underemployed persons, around half of the
time-related underemployed persons (49.2 per cent) were in “to have better paid job/activity”,
followed by “to work more hours” (36.8 per cent). This pattern was reflected in both rural and
urban areas.
99 | P a g e
Table 11.12 Underemployed (less than 40 hours) by reason of looking for additional/new job, sex and area
Reason Rural Urban Bangladesh

Column %
Present job is temporary 8.5 2.2 6.2 11.6 11.6 11.6 9.2 4.3 7.4
Fear of losing present job 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.5 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.8
To work more hours 35.6 41.4 37.8 34.6 31.2 33.4 35.4 39.2 36.8
To have a better paid job/
activity 49.7 52.3 50.7 42.0 47.3 44.0 48.0 51.2 49.2
better use of skills &
education 3.3 2.5 3.0 2.2 5.6 3.4 3.1 3.1 3.1
Health reason 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1
Better work environment 1.8 0.1 1.2 7.9 3.1 6.2 3.2 0.8 2.3
Other reasons 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.9 0.1 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
11.3.2 Time-related underemployment by age group and sex

Information on employed persons who had worked less than 40 hours in the week prior to survey
was then used to assess time-related underemployment. Of all employed persons in Bangladesh
in 2016-17, an estimated 0.66 million employed persons (45.2 per cent) were underemployed in
the age group 15-29 years (table 11.13) and 0.79 million (53.8 per cent) were in the age group
30-64. The proportion of underemployed with the total employed persons was higher in youths
(3.7 per cent), followed by Adults (1.9 per cent) and old age (0.6 per cent) employed persons.
Table 11.13 Persons in time-related underemployment (less than 40 hours), by broad age group sex and area
(in 000)
15-29 310 182 492 102 68 170 412 250 662
30-64 397 236 633 104 51 155 502 286 788
65+ 12 2 13 1 0 1 13 2 15
Total 719 419 1139 207 119 326 926 539 1465
Column %
15-29 43.1 43.4 43.2 49.1 57.1 52.1 44.5 46.4 45.2
30-64 55.2 56.2 55.6 50.4 42.5 47.5 54.1 53.2 53.8
65+ 1.6 0.4 1.2 0.5 0.3 0.4 1.4 0.4 1.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
TRU as % of total employed
15-29 3.7 4.5 3.9 2.9 3.6 3.1 3.4 4.2 3.7
30-64 2.0 2.4 2.2 1.2 1.9 1.4 1.8 2.3 1.9
65+ 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.2 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.6
Total 2.4 3.0 2.6 1.7 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.9 2.4
100 | P a g e
11.3.3 Time-related underemployment by sector
By broad economic sectors, (chart 11.4) almost two-third of the time-related underemployed (less
than 40 hours) persons was engaged in agriculture (61.6 per cent), while more than one-forth
worked in service sector (28.2 per cent) and the rest 10.3 per cent was engaged in the industry
sector.
Chart 11.4: Distribution of underemployed persons by sector and sex

70.0
60.0 66.4
61.6
58.8
50.0
40.0
30.0
29.8 28.2
27.3
20.0
10.0 14.0
3.9 10.3
0.0
Male Female Total
The distribution of the time related underemployed persons by area and sex is illustrated in table
11.14 for each economic sector of the country. Overall, 2.4 per cent of the total employed persons
were time related underemployed, of them 3.7 per cent of the total employed persons in the
agriculture sector were underemployed; 1.2 per cent of the total employed persons in the industry
sector were underemployed and 1.7 per cent of the total employed persons in the service sector
were underemployed;
Table 11.14 Persons in time-related underemployment (40 hours), by sector, sex and area

Agriculture 494 327 820 51 31 82 544 358 902
Industry 75 12 87 55 9 64 129 21 150
Service 151 81 232 102 79 181 253 160 413
Total 719 419 1139 207 119 326 926 539 1465
Column %
Agriculture 68.6 77.9 72.0 24.4 26.0 25.0 58.8 66.4 61.6
Industry 10.4 2.8 7.6 26.4 7.5 19.5 14.0 3.9 10.3
Service 21.0 19.3 20.3 49.2 66.5 55.5 27.3 29.8 28.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
TRU as % of total employment
Agriculture 4.0 3.2 3.6 4.7 3.4 4.1 4.0 3.2 3.7
Industry 1.3 0.7 1.2 1.6 0.6 1.3 1.4 0.7 1.2
Service 1.3 3.6 1.7 1.3 3.7 1.8 1.3 3.7 1.7
Total 2.4 3.0 2.6 1.7 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.9 2.4
101 | P a g e
11.3.4 Time-related underemployment by Occupation
Table 11.15 reflected the proportion of underemployment by occupation and sex for both urban
and rural areas. The majority of the time-related underemployed persons were worked as
professionals (5.3 per cent), followed by skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries at 3.5 per
cent, Elementary Occupations, at 2.8 per cent of the total employment in that particular
occupations.
Table 11.15 Persons in time-related underemployment (less than 40 hours), by occupation, sex and area

Managers 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.2
Professionals 5.9 3.8 5.2 4.8 6.5 5.5 5.5 5.1 5.3
Professionals 1.0 0.5 0.9 0.8 1.3 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9
and Fisheries 3.7 3.2 3.4 4.8 3.3 4.1 3.8 3.2 3.5
Workers 1.4 3.2 1.9 1.7 2.3 1.9 1.5 2.8 1.9
Plant and Machine Operators,
and Assembler 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Total 2.4 3.0 2.6 1.7 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.9 2.4
11.3.5 Time-related underemployment by education

Table 11.16 highlighted the proportion of time-related underemployment by education
attainment of the employed population. It shows that majority of the time-related underemployed
persons were belongs to Higher Secondary education category, at 3.7 per cent, followed by Others
at 3.0 per cent. Females were suffering more (2.9 per cent) than that of male counterpart (2.2 per
cent). Time-related underemployment rate was higher in rural areas (2.6 per cent) than urban
areas (1.9 per cent).
Table 11.16 Persons in time-related underemployment (40 hours), by education group, sex and area

attainment Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
None 2.4 2.5 2.4 1.6 2.2 1.8 2.3 2.4 2.3
Primary 2.2 3.4 2.5 1.6 1.8 1.7 2.1 3.0 2.3
Secondary 2.3 3.2 2.6 1.4 2.7 1.7 2.0 3.1 2.3
Tertiary 2.9 2.5 2.9 1.9 2.6 2.0 2.3 2.6 2.4
Others 3.6 0.0 3.3 1.6 0.0 1.6 3.3 0.0 3.0
Total 2.4 3.0 2.6 1.7 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.9 2.4
102 | P a g e
Chapter 12
Quality, stability and social security coverage
This chapter presents the survey findings regarding: (i) quality and stability of employment,
including the proportions of own-account workers and contributing family workers in total
employment and employment by contract type, (ii) social security, such as the proportions of
paid employees contributing to any pension or retirement fund and the proportions of paid
employees benefiting from annual or sick leave, and (iii) precarious work, such as seasonal,
occasional or substitute work.
12.1 Quality and stability of employment

The proportion of own-account workers and contributing family workers in total employment is
the percentage of all employed persons who are own-account or contributing family workers.
This indicator provides information regarding the proportion of workers whose status in
employment may place them at a higher degree of economic risk and vulnerability than other
employed persons. These two status groups are considered as vulnerable because such workers
are unlikely to have formal employment arrangements or access to benefits or social protection
programs and they are more at risk to the effects of economic cycles.
Own-account workers worked on their own account or with one or more partners as self-
employed and had not engaged any employee’s one continuous basis to work for them during the
reference period. The partners may or may not be members of the same family or household.
Contributing family workers are those who hold a self-employment job in a market oriented
establishment operated by a related person living in the same household, who cannot be regarded
as partners.
According to the findings (table 12.1), an estimated 55.8 per cent of all employed persons in
2016-17 were own-account or contributing family workers (in vulnerable employment). More
than half of the employed males (50.6 per cent) and nearly seven of every ten employed females
(67.7 per cent) were in vulnerable employment.
Across age groups, the largest proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in
total employment was 69.9 per cent among persons 65 years or older, followed by 59.2 per cent
among those aged 30–64 and 46.2 per cent among those aged 15–29. The proportions varied
largely between urban areas (40.4 per cent) and rural areas (61.8 per cent).
105 | P a g e
Table 12.1 Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total employment
(in ‘000)
Total
15-29 8457 4064 12521 3560 1871 5432 12017 5936 17952
30-64 19609 9770 29379 8394 2650 11044 28002 12421 40423
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Own account worker
15-29 2606 1613 4219 924 352 1275 3530 1964 5494
30-64 10910 4445 15355 3726 770 4496 14637 5215 19851
65+ 1195 134 1329 258 21 279 1454 154 1608
Total 14712 6191 20903 4909 1142 6051 19620 7333 26954
Contributing family worker
15-29 1070 1336 2406 254 136 390 1324 1472 2796
30-64 278 3421 3699 69 327 396 347 3748 4094
65+ 31 63 94 7 6 12 37 69 107
Total 1379 4820 6199 329 468 798 1708 5289 6997
%
Own account worker as % of total employment
15-29 30.8 39.7 33.7 25.9 18.8 23.5 29.4 33.1 30.6
30-64 55.6 45.5 52.3 44.4 29.0 40.7 52.3 42.0 49.1
65+ 68.5 55.4 66.9 61.8 42.9 59.8 67.2 53.3 65.6
Total 49.4 44.0 47.6 39.7 25.0 35.7 46.5 39.3 44.3
Contributing family worker as % of total employment
15-29 12.7 32.9 19.2 7.1 7.3 7.2 11.0 24.8 15.6
30-64 1.4 35.0 12.6 0.8 12.3 3.6 1.2 30.2 10.1
65+ 1.8 26.3 4.8 1.6 12.0 2.6 1.7 23.9 4.4
Total 4.6 34.2 14.1 2.7 10.3 4.7 4.0 28.4 11.5
Contributing family worker + own account worker as % of total employment
15-29 43.5 72.6 52.9 33.1 26.0 30.7 40.4 57.9 46.2
30-64 57.1 80.5 64.9 45.2 41.4 44.3 53.5 72.2 59.2
65+ 70.3 81.7 71.7 63.3 55.0 62.4 69.0 77.3 69.9
Total 54.0 78.2 61.8 42.3 35.2 40.4 50.6 67.7 55.8
Employees were asked whether they were employed on the basis of a written contract or oral
agreement and whether the contract or agreement was of limited, unlimited or unspecified
duration. Table 12.2 reflects that more than two third of 16.8 million (or 69.4 per cent) of all
employees worked with only an oral employment agreement. Of the 7.4 million employees with
a written contract, nearly 1.0 million of them were of limited duration. Around 6.4 million
employees (26.5 per cent) had a written contract with unlimited duration.
Table 12.2: Proportion of paid employees, by contract type, sex and area
Contract type Rural Urban Bangladesh

Written contract
(unlimited time) 19.8 29.5 21.8 35.6 30.7 34.1 25.3 30.1 26.5
Written contract
(limited time) 3.3 4.2 3.5 5.1 5.4 5.2 3.9 4.8 4.1
Oral contract 76.9 66.3 74.8 59.3 63.9 60.8 70.8 65.1 69.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
106 | P a g e
Employees those had limited contract, were asked to answer the reasons behind their limited
contract. The highest answer for that is specific task, at 31.6 per cent, followed by Occasional /
daily work day work, at 28.0 per cent and Seasonal work, at 21.0 per cent. Training was
accounted for only 5.1 per cent of them; government special programme was accounted for 6.2
per cent employees (Table 12.3 below).
Table 12.3 Employment of persons aged 15 or older, by reasons for written contract with limited time
(in 000)
Workplace training 6.3 4.8 5.9 4.5 3.5 4.2 5.5 4.0 5.1
Internship 2.3 0.3 1.8 0.8 0.6 0.7 1.6 0.5 1.3
Seasonal work 21.6 18.8 20.9 17.6 28.1 21.0 19.8 24.0 21.0
Occasional / daily work 29.7 21.8 27.8 34.4 15.6 28.3 31.8 18.3 28.0
programme 7.2 12.5 8.4 3.7 4.2 3.8 5.6 7.8 6.2
Specific task 25.9 26.8 26.1 36.0 40.6 37.5 30.5 34.5 31.6
Others (specify) 7.0 15.0 8.9 3.0 7.4 4.5 5.2 10.8 6.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Chart 12.1: Proportion of employment of persons, by reasons for

written contract with limited time
Internship 1.3
Workplace training 5.1
Government employment programme 6.2
Others (specify) 6.8
Seasonal work 21.0
Occasional / daily work 28.0
Specific task 31.6
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0
12.2 Social security

Employees were also asked if their employer contributed to any pension or retirement fund for
them. As indicated in table 12.4, of all paid employees, 10.6 percent of them had an employer
who contributed to a pension scheme or retirement fund. The proportion of paid employees with
a contribution to any pension or retirement fund was larger in the urban areas (14.5 per cent) than
in rural areas (8.2 per cent). Specifically, in those urban areas, one fifth (20.8 per cent) of the
employees aged 30-64 had a contribution to any pension or retirement fund, compared with only
5.5 per cent in the 15-29 age group (table 12.4).
Table 12.4 Paid employees with an employer contribution to any pension or retirement fund, by age group, sex
and area (in 000)
15-29 243 84 327 125 78 203 368 162 530
30-64 714 187 900 881 256 1137 1595 443 2037
65+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 956 271 1227 1006 334 1340 1963 604 2567
107 | P a g e
Table 12.4 Paid employees with an employer contribution to any pension or retirement fund, by age group, sex
and area (in 000)
% of total paid employee
15-29 5.3 7.7 5.8 5.5 5.7 5.5 5.3 6.6 5.7
30-64 10.2 10.1 10.2 22.4 16.7 20.8 14.6 13.1 14.3
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 8.0 9.1 8.2 15.9 11.4 14.5 10.7 10.2 10.6
Table 12.5 indicated that the proportion of paid employees with a contribution to any pension or
retirement fund was highest in the service sector (23.2 per cent), followed by industry sector (2.6
per cent) and only 1.5 per cent in the agriculture sector.
Table 12.5 Paid employees with an employer contribution to any pension or retirement fund, by sector, sex and
area (in 000)
Agriculture 40 23 63 5 0 5 45 23 68
Industry 102 21 123 105 25 130 207 46 253
Service 815 226 1041 896 309 1205 1711 535 2246
Total 956 271 1227 1006 334 1340 1963 604 2567
% of total paid employee
Agriculture 1.1 3.8 1.5 1.7 0.3 1.5 1.1 3.5 1.5
Industry 2.2 2.0 2.2 3.8 1.8 3.1 2.8 1.9 2.6
Service 22.6 17.3 21.1 27.4 20.6 25.2 24.8 19.0 23.2
Total 8.0 9.1 8.2 15.9 11.4 14.5 10.7 10.2 10.6
Employees were asked whether they were entitled to either paid annual leave or paid sick leave
in case of illness or injury. According to the responses (table 12.6), 29.7 per cent of them were
allowed any paid sick leave, 36.1 per cent were female and 27.7 per cent were male. The
proportions varied largely between urban areas 47.6 per cent) and rural areas (18.6 per cent).
Between age groups, 30.3 per cent of employees aged 30–64 compared with 29.6 per cent of
employees aged 15–29.
Table 12.6 Proportion of paid employees benefiting from sick leave, by age group, sex and area

15-29 804 284 1088 887 797 1684 1690 1082 2772
30-64 1353 291 1644 1935 751 2687 3288 1042 4330
65+ 38 2 40 38 5 43 76 7 83
Total 2195 577 2772 2860 1554 4414 5055 2131 7186
% of total paid employees
15-29 17.5 26.1 19.2 38.6 58.0 45.8 24.6 43.9 29.6
30-64 19.4 15.7 18.6 49.3 49.2 49.3 30.1 30.9 30.3
65+ 11.0 5.0 10.4 32.0 22.9 30.6 16.4 11.4 15.8
Total 18.4 19.4 18.6 45.1 53.1 47.6 27.7 36.1 29.7
108 | P a g e
Table 12.7 reflects that about 6.0 per cent of the paid employees had day care facilities. Of those,
10.0 per cent was female and 4.7 per cent was male. Between age groups, 6.7 per cent of
employees aged 15-29 compared with 5.7 per cent of employees aged 30-64.
Table 12.7 Proportion of paid employees benefiting from day care facilities, by age group, sex and
area
Benefiting from day care facilities as % of total paid employees
15-29 2.5 9.7 3.9 7.5 16.7 10.9 4.2 13.6 6.7
30-64 2.4 2.8 2.5 9.9 13.4 10.9 5.1 7.6 5.7
65+ 0.6 0.0 0.6 2.2 1.0 2.0 1.0 0.4 0.9
Total 2.4 5.3 3.0 8.9 14.9 10.8 4.7 10.0 6.0
The distribution of the paid employees had day care facilities by sectors is reflected in table 12.8
below. Among them, 8.6 per cent of the paid employees was in industry sector, followed by
service sector, at 6.1 per cent and only 0.1 per cent in the agriculture sector.
Table 12.8 Proportion of paid employees benefiting from day care facilities, by sector, sex and area

Benefiting from day care facilities as % of total paid employees
Agriculture 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1
Industry 3.7 12.5 5.4 9.0 21.3 13.1 5.7 17.5 8.6
Service 3.1 1.9 2.8 9.6 9.5 9.5 6.2 5.9 6.1
Total 2.4 5.3 3.0 8.9 14.9 10.8 4.7 10.0 6.0
Those who had separate toilet facilities of the paid employees by broad economic sectors is
reflected in table 12.9 below. It reflects that about 6.0 per cent of the paid employees had separate
toilet facilities. Of those, 31.9 per cent was female and 21.4 per cent was male. Among them,
33.5 per cent of the paid employees was in industry sector, followed by service sector, at 25.4
per cent and only 1.1 per cent in the agriculture sector. Between areas, 14.5 per cent of rural
employees compared with 39.2 per cent of urban employees had separate toilet facilities.
Table 12.9 Proportion of paid employees benefiting from separate toilet facilities, by sector, sex and area

Agriculture 1.1 0.8 1.0 2.4 1.9 2.3 1.2 0.9 1.1
Industry 18.8 28.6 20.6 40.9 71.9 51.2 27.1 53.0 33.5
Service 21.3 13.9 19.4 33.6 26.9 31.5 27.2 20.8 25.4
Total 14.0 16.5 14.5 35.3 47.5 39.2 21.4 31.9 24.0
Chart 12.2: Proportion of paid employees benefiting from separate toilet

facilities, by sector, sex
60.0
50.0
53.0
40.0
30.0
33.5 31.9
20.0 27.1 27.2 25.4
20.8 21.4 24.0
10.0
1.2 0.9 1.1
0.0
Agriculture Industry Service Total
Male Female Total
109 | P a g e
12.3 Precarious work
Distribution of paid employees by type of contract is provided in table 12.10 below. Employees
were asked if they have any written contract (if any). Of the total paid employees, 4.1 per cent of
them had precarious work (3.9 per cent of them male and 4.8 per cent female). More of them
lived in urban areas, at 5.2 per cent, than in rural areas, at 3.5 per cent. Among the total paid
employees, 69.4 per cent had oral contract or even don’t know about their contract.
Table 12.10: Proportion of paid employees, by contract type, sex and area
(in 000)
Written contract
(unlimited time) 2364 879 3243 2258 899 3157 4622 1778 6400
Written contract
(limited time) 394 125 519 323 157 480 717 282 999
Oral contract 9166 1975 11141 3764 1869 5633 12929 3844 16773
Total 11925 2978 14903 6344 2925 9270 18269 5903 24172
%
Written contract
(unlimited time) 19.8 29.5 21.8 35.6 30.7 34.1 25.3 30.1 26.5
Written contract
(limited time) 3.3 4.2 3.5 5.1 5.4 5.2 3.9 4.8 4.1
Oral contract 76.9 66.3 74.8 59.3 63.9 60.8 70.8 65.1 69.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Those who were suffering from precarious type of work, occasional/day to day work (30.1 per
cent) was the highest reason, followed by Seasonal work (27.6 per cent), Specific tasks (18.6 per
cent), government special work/activity (10.5 per cent).
Table 12.11: Proportion of paid employees in precarious work, by reasons of limited contact, sex and area
(in 000)
Reasons of limited contact Rural Urban Bangladesh
Workplace training 25 6 31 15 5 20 39 11 51
Internship 9 0 9 3 1 4 12 1 13
Seasonal work 93 35 128 75 73 148 168 108 276
Occasional / daily work 121 30 150 124 26 150 244 56 300
programme 48 18 66 30 9 39 78 27 105
Specific task 70 17 88 68 31 99 138 48 186
Others (specify) 28 19 46 10 12 21 37 30 68
Total 394 125 519 323 157 480 717 282 999
Column %
Workplace training 6.3 4.8 5.9 4.5 3.5 4.2 5.5 4.0 5.1
Internship 2.3 0.3 1.8 0.8 0.6 0.7 1.6 0.5 1.3
Seasonal work 23.7 27.9 24.7 23.2 46.3 30.8 23.5 38.2 27.6
Occasional / daily work 30.6 23.9 29.0 38.3 16.7 31.3 34.1 19.9 30.1
programme 12.3 14.4 12.8 9.2 5.7 8.0 10.9 9.6 10.5
Specific task 17.9 13.7 16.9 21.0 19.7 20.6 19.3 17.1 18.6
Others (specify) 7.0 15.0 8.9 3.0 7.4 4.5 5.2 10.8 6.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
110 | P a g e
Chart 12.3: Proportion of paid employees in precarous work,
by reasons of limited contact
Others (specify) 6.8
Specific task 18.6
Government employment programme 10.5
Occasional / daily work 30.1
Seasonal work 27.6
Internship 1.3
Workplace training 5.1
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0
Table 12.12 indicated that, 4.3 per cent for the total employed adults, followed by 4.0 per cent
for the youths and 2.0 per cent for the others age group was suffering from precarious work.
Female youths (4.8 per cent) with precarious work are more vulnerable than that of male (3.9 per
cent) counterparts. Female youths of both urban and rural areas were more deteriorated than male
counterparts.
Table 12.12: Proportion of paid employees in precarious work, by age group, sex and area

15-29 135 60 195 92 89 181 227 150 377
30-64 253 64 316 228 67 295 481 131 612
65+ 7 0 7 2 1 3 9 1 10
Total 394 125 519 323 157 480 717 282 999
% of total paid employees
15-29 2.9 5.5 3.4 4.0 6.5 4.9 3.3 6.1 4.0
30-64 3.6 3.4 3.6 5.8 4.4 5.4 4.4 3.9 4.3
65+ 1.9 1.1 1.8 2.0 4.8 2.4 1.9 2.4 2.0
Total 3.3 4.2 3.5 5.1 5.4 5.2 3.9 4.8 4.1
As shown in Table 12.13, by sectors, half of the precarious workers were engaged in service
sector (49.0 per cent), followed by 46.4 per cent in industry sector and the rest 4.7 per cent of the
precarious workers were engaged in agriculture sector.
Table 12.13: Proportion of paid employees in precarious work, by sector, sex and area
(in 000)
Agriculture 26 14 40 4 3 7 30 16 47
Industry 169 57 225 142 96 238 310 153 464
Service 200 54 254 177 58 235 377 112 489
Total 394 125 519 323 157 480 717 282 999
Column %
Agriculture 6.6 10.9 7.7 1.2 1.8 1.4 4.2 5.8 4.7
Industry 42.7 45.4 43.4 44.0 61.3 49.6 43.3 54.3 46.4
Service 50.6 43.7 48.9 54.8 36.9 49.0 52.5 39.9 49.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
111 | P a g e
Chart 12.4: Distribution of paid employees in precarous work,
by contract type, sex and area
54.3 52.5
49.0
46.4
43.3
39.9
4.2 5.8 4.7

Male Female Total
As shown in chart 12.4, the distribution of total precarious workers by sex and industry sector,
more than half of the male precarious workers were engaged in service sector (52.5 per cent),
whereas the highest proportion was in the industry sector (54.3 per cent) for the females and
overall, 49.0 per cent of the precarious workers were engaged in the service sector, followed by
industry sector (46.4 per cent) and agriculture sector (4.7 per cent).
112 | P a g e
Chapter 13
Safety of work
This chapter presents the data on the work-related injuries and illness that workers had
experienced in the 12 months prior to the survey, including type of injury or illness and working
days lost as well as types of hazards and their frequency.
13.1 Occupational injuries and illnesses

Occupational injury and illness is defined as any personal injury resulting from a work-related
accident. As shown in table 13.1, an estimated 1.9 million persons (3.1 per cent of total employed)
aged 15 or older experienced an occupational injury and illness sometime during the 12 months
prior to the survey; of them, 1.6 million were male (3.8 per cent of total male employed) and 284
thousand were female (1.5 per cent of total female employed). More than two times as many
persons aged 30–64 (67.3 per cent) reported an injury or illness in the previous year than younger
workers (29.5 per cent). Among injured women, the rate for younger women (44.3 per cent) was
higher than that of male (29.6 per cent) in urban areas whereas in rural areas it was male (28.0
per cent) and females (31.2 per cent).
Table 13.1 Persons aged 15 or older reporting an occupational injury or illness in the previous 12 months, by
age group, sex and area (in 000)
15-29 305 59 364 153 41 195 459 101 559
30-64 741 130 871 353 50 403 1095 179 1274
65+ 45 1 46 11 2 14 56 4 60
Total 1091 191 1282 518 93 611 1609 284 1893
%
15-29 28.0 31.2 28.4 29.6 44.3 31.9 28.5 35.5 29.5
30-64 67.9 68.1 68.0 68.2 53.1 65.9 68.0 63.2 67.3
65+ 4.1 0.7 3.6 2.2 2.6 2.2 3.5 1.4 3.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
15-29 3.6 1.5 2.9 4.3 2.2 3.6 3.8 1.7 3.1
30-64 3.8 1.3 3.0 4.2 1.9 3.6 3.9 1.4 3.2
65+ 2.6 0.6 2.3 2.7 5.0 2.9 2.6 1.3 2.4
Total 3.7 1.4 2.9 4.2 2.0 3.6 3.8 1.5 3.1
Time lost in days is an indicator that measures the consequences of occupational injuries. It gives
a quantifiable measure of the impact of the injuries that is comparable across cases, and is useful
for designing targeted prevention mechanisms and for estimating the cost of occupational
injuries. As table 13.2 indicates, the majority of persons reporting any occupational injury or
illness in the previous year also reported that they had lost one working days (25.8 per cent),
followed by a loss of three days (24.9 per cent).
115 | P a g e
Table 13.2 Persons aged 15 or older reporting an occupational injury or illness, by number of working days lost
in the previous 12 months, sex and area
Number of working days lost Rural Urban Bangladesh
%
No days lost 16.7 7.9 15.4 10.9 8.2 10.5 14.8 8.0 13.8
1 day 17.7 71.3 25.7 22.2 47.9 26.1 19.2 63.7 25.8
2 days 23.9 5.3 21.1 15.6 4.6 13.9 21.2 5.1 18.8
3 days 23.5 13.1 22.0 31.2 30.4 31.1 26.0 18.8 24.9
4 days 3.6 0.2 3.1 4.5 3.2 4.3 3.9 1.2 3.5
5-30 days 12.2 2.0 10.7 14.0 4.1 12.5 12.8 2.7 11.3
1 month or more 2.3 0.0 1.9 1.4 1.5 1.4 2.0 0.5 1.8
Expect never return to work 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table 13.3 indicates that the largest proportion of occupational injuries occurred to those who
engaged as Craft and Related Trades Workers (5.7 per cent), followed by Elementary
Occupations (5.6 per cent), Plant machine operators and assemblers (5.2 per cent). Overall, 3.1
per cent of the employed persons reported occupational injuries and illnesses in the previous 12
months. Male (3.8 per cent) employed persons were suffering from injuries four times than that
of females (1.5 per cent). Male employed persons of both urban and rural areas were more
deteriorated than female counterparts.
Table 13.3 Number and rate of reported occupational injuries and illnesses in the previous 12 months, by main
sector, sex and area
Injured rate as % of total employment
Managers 2.0 0.0 1.9 1.3 0.2 1.2 1.6 0.2 1.4
Professionals 0.8 1.2 0.9 1.1 0.6 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9
Professionals 2.2 5.5 2.7 1.4 1.8 1.4 1.8 3.7 2.1
and Fisheries 2.3 0.4 1.3 2.3 0.3 1.4 2.3 0.4 1.3
Workers 6.1 4.0 5.5 7.6 2.9 5.9 6.7 3.5 5.7
and Assembler 5.7 2.5 5.4 5.2 1.4 4.7 5.5 2.0 5.2
Total 3.7 1.4 2.9 4.2 2.0 3.6 3.8 1.5 3.1
Table 13.4 indicates that the largest proportion of occupational injuries occurred to those who
engaged in industry sector (7.0 per cent), followed by service sector (2.6 per cent) and agriculture
sector (1.6 per cent). The proportion of occupational injuries and illnesses in the previous 12
months for both male (7.2 per cent) and females (6.4 per cent) were worsen in the industry sector.
116 | P a g e
Table 13.4 Number and rate of reported occupational injuries and illnesses in the previous 12 months, by sector,
Rate (% in total employment)
Agriculture 2.7 0.3 1.6 2.6 0.3 1.5 2.7 0.3 1.6
Industry 7.4 9.0 7.7 6.9 3.7 5.9 7.2 6.4 7.0
Service 2.8 0.7 2.5 3.2 1.6 2.9 3.0 1.1 2.6
Total 3.7 1.4 2.9 4.2 2.0 3.6 3.8 1.5 3.1
Chart 13.1: Proportion of Occupational injuries and illnesses in the

previous 12 months, by sector and sex
8.0 7.2 7.0
7.0 6.4
6.0
5.0
3.8
4.0 3.1
2.7 3.0
3.0 2.6
2.0 1.6 1.5
1.1
1.0 0.3
0.0
Male Female Total
13.2 Frequency of injuries

Those who experienced injuries during last 12 months were asked questions of the occurrences
of the incidence. Overall, out of 1.9 million of the injured persons, 29.2 per cent persons aged 15
or older who reported experiencing a work-related injury for once in the 12 months prior to the
survey (table 13.5), about one forth (24.5 per cent) cited twice.
Table 13.5 Occupational injuries and illnesses in the previous 12 months and rate, by frequency of injury, sex
and area
Frequency of Rural Urban Bangladesh
injury Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
1 time 25.5 9.9 23.2 46.1 17.7 41.8 32.1 12.5 29.2
2 times 23.0 32.6 24.5 25.5 20.2 24.7 23.8 28.5 24.5
3 times 23.9 22.4 23.7 17.8 25.5 19.0 21.9 23.4 22.1
4 times 24.4 28.6 25.0 7.3 28.7 10.6 18.9 28.6 20.3
5-9 times 2.5 6.2 3.1 2.6 7.2 3.3 2.6 6.6 3.2
10 or more 0.7 0.2 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Injured rate as % of total injured
1 time 14.7 1.0 15.7 12.6 0.9 13.5 27.3 1.9 29.2
2 times 13.3 3.3 16.6 7.0 1.0 8.0 20.3 4.3 24.5
3 times 13.8 2.3 16.0 4.9 1.3 6.1 18.6 3.5 22.1
4 times 14.0 2.9 16.9 2.0 1.4 3.4 16.0 4.3 20.3
5-9 times 1.5 0.6 2.1 0.7 0.4 1.1 2.2 1.0 3.2
10 or more 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.6 0.1 0.6
Total 57.6 10.1 67.7 27.4 4.9 32.3 85.0 15.0 100.0
117 | P a g e
Chart 13.2: Distribution of reported occupational injuries and
illnesses, by frequency of injury
10 or more 0.6
5-9 times 3.2
4 times 20.3
3 times 22.1
2 times 24.5
1 time 29.2
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0
13.3 Type of hazards work

Each person in the sample households was asked a series of questions on their exposure at work
and multiple responses were allowed. Table 13.6 reflected that the larger proportions in cited
exposure to dangerous tools (6.9 per cent), followed by Chemicals/explosives (4.0 per cent),
Dust, fumes, noise or vibration (4.0 per cent), Work in water/pond/river (2.1 per cent), work
underground or at heights (1.9 per cent), Fire, gas, flames (1.6 per cent). In comparison, of the
total employed persons, proportion of the workers in rural areas cited exposure to any of the types
of exposure at work (12.8 percent) was higher than in urban areas (4.5 per cent). Male employed
persons were more vulnerable (more than five) than that of female counterparts.
Table 13.6 Rate of reported exposure at work, by type of exposure, sex and area
Type of exposure at work Rural Urban Bangladesh

Dust, fumes, noise or vibration 2.1 0.2 2.3 1.3 0.4 1.6 3.4 0.6 4.0
Fire, gas, flames 0.9 0.1 1.1 0.4 0.1 0.5 1.4 0.2 1.6
Extreme cold or heat 0.9 0.1 0.9 0.3 0.0 0.3 1.1 0.1 1.2
Dangerous tools 4.4 0.8 5.3 1.2 0.4 1.6 5.6 1.3 6.9
Work underground or at
heights 1.2 0.0 1.2 0.7 0.0 0.7 1.9 0.0 1.9
Work in water/pond/river 1.7 0.1 1.9 0.2 0.0 0.2 1.9 0.2 2.1
Workplace too dark or
confined 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.5
Chemicals/explosives 3.3 0.2 3.5 0.4 0.0 0.5 3.7 0.3 4.0
Other things (specify) 0.8 0.1 0.9 0.2 0.0 0.2 1.0 0.1 1.1
Total (any of the above) 11.3 1.5 12.8 3.6 0.9 4.5 14.9 2.4 17.2
As shown in table 13.7, among the 60.8 million employed, an estimated 1.5 million persons (2.5
per cent of total employed persons) aged 15 or older experienced an abused sometime during the
12 months prior to the survey; of them, 857 thousand (2.0 per cent) were male and 643 thousand
(3.4 per cent) were female. The rate of any form of abuse in urban areas (1.7 per cent) was higher
than rural areas (4.4 per cent).
118 | P a g e
Most of them (88.4 per cent) reported that they were constantly shouted / insulted, whereas 7.4
per cent were beaten/physically hurt, and 5.5 per cent were sexually abused. The distribution of
sexually abused for females was as high as 10.5 per cent among the female employed and the
rate was 1.7 per cent for the male employed. The sexual abuse rate for female was too high in
urban (0.2 per cent) areas than rural (0.1 per cent) areas with respect to total employed. The
distribution by type of abuse is provided below.
Table 13.7 Number and rate of reported abused, by type of abuse, sex and area
(in 000)
Abused type Rural Urban Bangladesh
Constantly shouted
/insulted 497 147 644 257 424 681 754 571 1325
Beaten /physically hurt 66 6 72 30 8 38 96 14 110
Sexually abused 13 33 46 2 34 36 15 67 82
Other abuse 31 6 37 8 2 10 40 8 48
Total abused 567 181 748 289 462 751 857 643 1499
Total Employed 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Column %
Constantly shouted
/insulted 87.6 81.4 86.1 88.6 91.9 90.6 88.0 88.9 88.4
Beaten /physically hurt 11.7 3.3 9.7 10.3 1.8 5.1 11.2 2.2 7.4
Sexually abused 2.3 18.4 6.2 0.7 7.4 4.8 1.7 10.5 5.5
Other abuse 5.5 3.4 5.0 2.8 0.5 1.4 4.6 1.3 3.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
% of total employed
Constantly shouted
/insulted 1.7 1.0 1.5 2.1 9.3 4.0 1.8 3.1 2.2
Beaten /physically hurt 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2
Sexually abused 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.1
Other abuse 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1
Total 1.9 1.3 1.7 2.3 10.1 4.4 2.0 3.4 2.5
As reflected in Chart 13.1, most of the abused employed (88.4 per cent) reported that they were
constantly shouted/insulted, followed by 7.4 per cent beaten/physically hurt, 5.5 per cent sexually
abused and the rest 3.2 per cent were abused by other type.
Chart 13.1: Distribution of reported abused, by type of abuse and sex
88.0 88.9 88.4
11.2 2.2 7.4 1.7 10.5 5.5 4.6 1.3 3.2

Constantly Beaten /physically hurt Sexually abused Other abuse
shouted/insulted
Male Female Total
119 | P a g e
Table 13.8 reflected that an Industry and Service sector were more vulnerable to abuse to the
employees with highest 651 and 656 thousand persons (43.5 per cent and 43.7 per cent of total
abused persons) aged 15 or older experienced an abused sometime during the 12 months prior to
the survey, followed by 192 thousand (12.8 per cent) in the agriculture sector. The proportion of
abused persons to the total employed is more than three times in urban (4.4 per cent) areas than
rural (1.7 per cent) areas.
Table 13.8 Number and rate of reported abused, by sector, sex and area
(in 000)
Abused type Rural Urban Bangladesh
Agriculture 126 45 170 17 5 22 143 49 192
Industry 248 90 337 93 221 314 341 310 651
Service 194 46 240 179 237 415 372 283 656
Total abused 567 181 748 289 462 751 857 643 1499
Total employed 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Column %
Agriculture 22.1 24.7 22.8 6.0 1.0 2.9 16.7 7.6 12.8
Industry 43.7 49.6 45.1 32.3 47.8 41.8 39.8 48.3 43.5
Service 34.2 25.7 32.1 61.7 51.2 55.3 43.5 44.1 43.7
Total abused 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Abused as % of total employed
Agriculture 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3
Industry 0.8 0.6 0.8 0.8 4.8 1.9 0.8 1.7 1.1
Service 0.7 0.3 0.5 1.4 5.2 2.5 0.9 1.5 1.1
Total abused 1.9 1.3 1.7 2.3 10.1 4.4 2.0 3.4 2.5
Total employed 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Of the total abused, the proportion of abused persons is prominent in Industry sector (39.8 per
cent for male and 48.3 per cent for female), followed by Service sector (39.8 per cent for male
and 48.3 per cent for female) and lowest in agriculture sector.
Chart 13.3: Percntage distribution of reported abused,

by industry sector and sex
60.0
Female, 48.3
50.0
Male, 43.5 Female, 44.1
Male, 39.8
40.0
30.0
20.0 Male, 16.7
10.0 Female, 7.6
0.0
120 | P a g e
Chapter 14
Equal opportunities
This chapter presents the survey findings for the female share of employment. Equal opportunity
indicators help the Government to monitor the progress of its development achievements. To
look at the female share of employment, the survey relied on four statistical indicators used for
such monitoring: occupational segregation (within the major groups of the International Standard
Classification of Occupations), the female share of employment in BSCO middle and senior
management groups, the female share of employment by major occupational group and the share
of women in wage employment in the non-agriculture sector.
14.1 Occupational segregation of the employed persons

Occupational segregation provides information on the tendency for women and men to work in
different occupations; in this indicator, “occupation” refers to the main tasks and duties. The
indicator sheds light on the extent to which women and men benefit from different opportunities
in the work life.
According to the findings presented in table 14.1, the largest proportion of female employment
was in skilled agriculture Forestry and Fisheries work (51.7 per cent), followed by craft and
related trade work (17.5 per cent) then elementary occupations (15.8 per cent). For males, the
highest proportion is in skilled agriculture Forestry and Fisheries work (23.8 per cent), followed
by sales and service work (21.6 per cent), then elementary occupations (17.9 per cent) and craft
and related trade work (16.9 per cent).
Table 14.1 Occupational segregation of the employed persons aged 15 years or older, by sex and area
(in 000)
Occupation-BSCO Male Female
Managers 316 573 889 74 107 107
Professionals 1067 831 1898 522 1035 1035
Technicians and Associate Professionals 489 472 961 84 170 170
Clerical Support Workers 398 358 756 79 140 140
Service and Sales Workers 5383 3717 9101 382 922 922
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries 9192 847 10039 774 9644 9644
Craft and Related Trades Workers 4459 2655 7114 1509 3254 3254
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers 2433 1317 3750 176 411 411
Elementary Occupations 5980 1552 7531 966 2954 2954
Other Occupations 92 51 143 5 8 8
Total 29809 12372 42182 4570 18646 18646
123 | P a g e
Table 14.1 Occupational segregation of the employed persons aged 15 years or older, by sex and area
(in 000)
Occupation-BSCO Male Female
Column %
Managers 1.1 4.6 2.1 1.6 0.6 0.6
Professionals 3.6 6.7 4.5 11.4 5.5 5.5
Technicians and Associate Professionals 1.6 3.8 2.3 1.8 0.9 0.9
Clerical Support Workers 1.3 2.9 1.8 1.7 0.8 0.8
Service and Sales Workers 18.1 30.0 21.6 8.4 4.9 4.9
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries 30.8 6.8 23.8 16.9 51.7 51.7
Craft and Related Trades Workers 15.0 21.5 16.9 33.0 17.5 17.5
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers 8.2 10.6 8.9 3.8 2.2 2.2
Elementary Occupations 20.1 12.5 17.9 21.1 15.8 15.8
Other Occupations 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
14.2 Female share of employment in high-status occupations

The female share of employment in senior and middle management refers to the proportion of
females in total employment in the BSCO-2012 category 11 (legislators and senior officials) and
category 12 (corporate managers). This indicator provides Information on the proportion of
women who were employed in decision-making and management roles in government, in large
enterprises and institutions. BSCO-2012 sub major group 13, of general managers, was not
included in this indicator because it primarily includes managers of small enterprises.
Regarding high-status occupations that the survey considered, overall, 10.4 per cent of the female
employment aged 15 or older were engaged in high-status occupations, 12.3 per cent female
share of employment was as chief executives, senior officials and legislators whereas female
share of employment as administrative and commercial managers was only 9.7 per cent.
Table 14.2: Female share of employment aged 15 or older in high-status occupations, by broad sector
(in ‘000)
Sub-major group of BSCO Agriculture Industry Service Total
Male
11. Chief Executives, Senior Officials and Legislators 1 33 64 97
12. Administrative and Commercial Managers 1 102 161 264
Total 2 135 225 362
Female
Total 1 11 30 42
Both sex
Total 3 146 255 404
Female share (%)
11. Chief Executives, Senior Officials and Legislators 20.5 8.1 14.2 12.3
12. Administrative and Commercial Managers 45.2 7.4 10.9 9.7
Total 33.6 7.6 11.9 10.4
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14.3 Female share in employment by major occupations
Female share of employment by occupations as Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries was
49.0 per cent, followed by 32.5 per cent professionals, 31.4 per cent Craft and Related Trades
Workers (table 14.2).
Table 14.3 Female share in employment of persons aged 15 or older, by major occupational group and area
(in 000)
Occupation Female share (%) Both sex Female
Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total
Managers 9.5 11.4 10.7 349 647 996 33 74 107
Professionals 32.4 38.6 32.5 1580 1353 2933 512 522 1035
Professionals 15.1 15.1 15.1 575 556 1131 87 84 170
Clerical Support Workers 13.4 18.0 15.7 460 436 896 62 79 140
Service and Sales Workers 9.1 9.3 9.2 5923 4100 10023 540 382 922
and Fisheries 49.1 47.8 49.0 18062 1621 19683 8870 774 9644
Workers 28.1 36.2 31.4 6204 4164 10368 1745 1509 3254
Plant and Machine
Operators, and Assemblers 8.8 11.8 9.9 2669 1492 4161 236 176 411
Elementary Occupations 25.0 38.4 28.2 7968 2517 10485 1988 966 2954
Other Occupations 3.7 8.5 5.4 96 56 152 4 5 8
Total 32.1 27.0 30.7 43885 16943 60828 14076 4570 18646
Female share of employment by occupations for rural (32.1 per cent) and urban (27.0) areas
varies slightly (table 14.2). Overall, 30.7 per cent female share of employment was found in
2016-17.
Chart 14.1: Female share in employment by major occupation
Total 30.7
Other Occupations 5.4
Service and Sales Workers 9.2
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assembl 9.9
Managers 10.7
Technicians and Associate Professionals 15.1
Clerical Support Workers 15.7
Elementary Occupations 28.2
Craft and Related Trades Workers 31.4
Professionals 32.5
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fishe 49.0
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0
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14.4 Share of female in wage employment in non-
agriculture sector
The non-agriculture sector refers to all economic activities excluding agriculture. Industry
includes mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, electricity, gas and water. Services
includes wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels, transport, storage, communications,
financing, insurance, real estate, business services, and community, social and personal services.
The share of women in wage employment aged 15 or older in the non-agriculture sector is an
important measure of decent work and one that is also used to measure progress towards gender
equality. According to the survey findings (table 14.4), the estimated share of women in wage
and salaried employment outside the agriculture sector in 2016-17 was 26.9 percent as a whole,
22.5 per cent in rural areas and 32.2 per cent in urban areas.
Table 14.4 Share of female in wage employment of persons aged 15 or older in the non-agriculture sector, by
area (in 000)
Female share (%) Both sex Female
Occupation Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total %
Managers 9.6 12.2 11.3 299 561 860 29 69 97 0.8
Professionals 32.7 39.4 35.9 1294 1188 2482 423 468 890 4.4
Professionals 19.2 19.0 19.1 388 402 790 75 77 151 12.7
Clerical Support Workers 14.3 18.6 16.5 402 410 812 57 76 134 4.1
Service and Sales Workers 17.9 13.4 15.9 1417 1173 2590 254 158 412 4.2
Skilled Agricultural,
Forestry and Fisheries 53.1 57.3 53.8 40 9 48 21 5 26 13.3
Workers 21.4 37.7 28.7 3594 2942 6536 770 1109 1879 0.2
Plant and Machine
Operators, and Assembler 14.7 17.8 16.1 1074 824 1899 158 147 305 33.5
Elementary Occupations 29.9 56.1 40.6 1970 1354 3324 589 760 1348 9.7
Other occupations 3.0 8.5 5.0 95 56 150 3 5 8 17.1
Total 22.5 32.2 26.9 10573 8918 19491 2378 2873 5251 100.0
The share of women in wage employment aged 15 or older in the non-agriculture sector is shown
in Chart 14.2 below. The estimated share of women in wage and salaried employment outside
the agriculture sector was 26.9 percent as a whole, 22.5 per cent in rural areas and 32.2 per cent
in urban areas.
Chart 14.2: Share of women in wage employment in the

non-agriculture sector, by area and sector
Total, 26.9
Total Urban, 32.2
Rural, 22.5
Total, 29.0
Service Urban, 31.5
Rural, 26.6
Total, 24.9
Industry Urban, 33.1
Rural, 18.9
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Chapter 15
Forms of Work
This chapter looks at the characteristics of the population aged 15 years or over by their various
forms of work. The QLFS 2016-17 questionnaire is developed in such a way that BBS can have
some statistics on the types of work done by the persons aged 15 years and over and regular
statistics on the various forms of work may be generated in the future.
The term Work is defined as any activity performed by persons of any sex and age to produce
goods or to provide services for use by others or for own use.
(a) Work is defined irrespective of its formal or informal character or the legality of the
activity.
(b) Work excludes activities that do not involve producing goods or services (e.g. begging
and stealing), self-care (e.g. personal grooming and hygiene) and activities that cannot
be performed by another person on one’s own behalf (e.g. sleeping, learning and
activities for own recreation).
(c) The concept of work is aligned with the General production boundary as defined in the
System of National Accounts 2008 (2008 SNA) and its concept of economic unit that
distinguishes between:
i. market units (i.e. corporations, quasi-corporations and household
unincorporated market enterprises);
ii. non-market units (i.e. government and non-profit institutions serving
households); and
iii. households that produce goods or services for own final use.
(d) Work can be performed in any kind of economic unit.
15.1 Forms of work

Four forms of work are identified for separate measurement. These forms of work are identified
on the basis of the intended destination of the production (for own final use; or for use by others,
i.e. other economic units) and the nature of the transaction (i.e. monetary or non-monetary
transactions, and transfers), as follows:
(a) own-use production work comprising production of goods and services for own final use;
(b) employment work comprising economic activities/work performed for others in
exchange for pay or profit or production of goods for own-use;
(c) unpaid trainee work comprising work performed for others without pay to acquire
workplace experience or skills;
(d) volunteer work comprising non-compulsory work performed for others without pay;
The reference period used for the QLFS 2016-17 for each form is based on the intensity of
participation and working time arrangements:
(a) seven days or one week, for employment and unpaid trainee work;
(b) four weeks or one calendar month, for own-use production of goods, unpaid trainee work
and volunteer work;
(c) seven days or one-week period, for own-use provision of services.
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15.2 Own-use production work
Persons in own-use production work are defined as all those of working age who, during a short
reference period (1 month for production of goods and 1 week for provision of services), performed
any activity to produce goods or provide services for own final use, where: “any activity” refers to
work performed in the various activities for a cumulative total of at least one hour. The various forms
of work are measured with respect to a short reference period. Own-use production work comprising
the following:
(i) production of goods for own final use and
(ii) Provision of services for own final use.
(i) Own-use production of goods for own final use

Own-use production of goods (within the 2008 SNA production boundary) covers:
i. producing and/or processing for storage agricultural, fishing, hunting and gathering
products;
ii. collecting and/or processing for storage mining and forestry products, including firewood
and other fuels;
iii. fetching water from natural and other sources;
iv. manufacturing household goods (such as furniture, textiles, clothing, footwear, pottery or
other durables, including boats and canoes);
v. building, or effecting major repairs to, one’s own dwelling, farm buildings, etc.;
In terms of the distribution of the working age population engaged in production of goods for own
final use in the previous 1 month by labour force status, sex and area for each type of work is provided
(table 15.1 & chart 15.1 below). The largest proportion was by Own plot, farm for own consumption
workers, at 18.2 million or 16.7 per cent of the working age population, followed by Fetch water or
firewood for own consumption, at 4.9 per cent. The proportion was higher for females (20.5 per cent)
than that of male (12.8) counterparts of the own plot, farm for own consumption workers.
Table 15.1: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 week, by labour
force status, sex and area (in 000)
Labour force status
Own plot, farm for own consumption
Employed 5958 7042 13000 524 670 1194 6482 7712 14194
Unemployed 71 80 150 6 14 20 76 94 170
Total 6378 9998 16376 569 1260 1828 6947 11258 18205
Catch any fish, prawns, shells, wild animals
Employed 1864 351 2216 145 31 176 2009 383 2392
Unemployed 62 43 105 6 3 10 68 47 115
Total 2121 637 2759 166 60 226 2288 697 2985
Construction in own land, plot, etc
Employed 1012 325 1337 115 30 144 1127 354 1481
Unemployed 31 9 40 5 4 9 36 13 49
Total 1139 601 1741 146 84 230 1285 686 1971
Fetch water or firewood for own consumption
Employed 636 1298 1933 41 63 104 677 1360 2037
Unemployed 39 179 218 4 25 29 43 204 247
Total 809 4098 4907 50 429 479 859 4527 5386
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Table 15.1: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 week, by labour
force status, sex and area (in 000)
Labour force status
Produce clothing, furniture or other goods for household use
Employed 527 874 1401 68 154 222 595 1028 1623
Unemployed 11 29 40 0 15 15 11 44 55
Total 589 1618 2207 77 440 517 666 2058 2725
Produce any other goods for the consumption of household or family
Employed 1247 1127 2373 128 164 292 1375 1291 2666
Unemployed 29 77 107 2 20 23 32 98 130
Total 1431 2356 3787 154 552 706 1585 2908 4493
Own plot, farm for own consumption as % of working age population
Employed 20.0 50.0 29.6 4.2 14.7 7.0 15.4 41.4 23.3
Unemployed 7.6 9.0 8.3 1.4 3.2 2.3 5.7 7.1 6.4
Total 16.7 25.8 21.2 3.6 7.8 5.7 12.8 20.5 16.7
Catch any fish, prawns, shells, wild animals as % of working age population
Employed 6.3 2.5 5.0 1.2 0.7 1.0 4.8 2.1 3.9
Unemployed 6.7 4.9 5.8 1.6 0.7 1.1 5.1 3.5 4.3
Total 5.5 1.6 3.6 1.1 0.4 0.7 4.2 1.3 2.7
Construction in own land, plot, etc as % of working age population
Employed 3.4 2.3 3.0 0.9 0.6 0.9 2.7 1.9 2.4
Unemployed 3.3 1.0 2.2 1.2 0.8 1.0 2.7 0.9 1.8
Total 3.0 1.5 2.3 0.9 0.5 0.7 2.4 1.2 1.8
Fetch water or firewood for own consumption as % of working age population
Employed 2.1 9.2 4.4 0.3 1.4 0.6 1.6 7.3 3.3
Unemployed 4.2 20.3 12.0 0.9 5.6 3.4 3.2 15.3 9.2
Total 2.1 10.6 6.4 0.3 2.7 1.5 1.6 8.2 4.9
Produce clothing, furniture or other goods for household use as % of working age population
Employed 1.8 6.2 3.2 0.6 3.4 1.3 1.4 5.5 2.7
Unemployed 1.2 3.3 2.2 0.1 3.4 1.8 0.8 3.3 2.1
Total 1.5 4.2 2.9 0.5 2.7 1.6 1.2 3.7 2.5
Produce any other goods for the consumption of household or family as % of working age population
Employed 4.2 8.0 5.4 1.0 3.6 1.7 3.3 6.9 4.4
Unemployed 3.2 8.8 5.9 0.6 4.6 2.6 2.4 7.4 4.8
Total 3.7 6.1 4.9 1.0 3.4 2.2 2.9 5.3 4.1
Chart 15.1: Proportion of working age population agneged in production

25.0
of goods for own use by type and sex
20.5
20.0
Male Female
15.0 12.8
10.0 8.2
4.2 5.3
3.7 2.9
5.0 1.3 2.4 1.2 1.6 1.2
0.0
Work in own plot, Catch any fish, Construction in own Fetch water or Produce clothing, Produce any other
farm for own prawns, shells, wild land, plot, etc firewood furniture or other goods
consumption animals goods
131 | P a g e
(ii) Provision of services for own final use
Provision of “services” (beyond the 2008 SNA production boundary but inside the General
production boundary) covers:
i. household accounting and management, purchasing and/or transporting goods;
ii. preparing and/or serving meals, household waste disposal and recycling;
iii. cleaning, decorating and maintaining one’s own dwelling or premises, durables and
other goods, and gardening;
iv. childcare and instruction, transporting and caring for elderly, dependent or other
household members and domestic animals or pets, etc.;
Table 15.2 below reflected the distribution of the working age population engaged in provision
of services for own final use in the previous 1 week by labour force status, sex and area for each
type of work is provided.
Table 15.2: Distribution of persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1
week, by labour force status, sex and area
Labour force status
Cooking as % of working age population
Employed 1.9 93.6 31.3 3.5 86.4 25.9 2.3 91.8 29.8
Unemployed 2.7 86.8 43.6 4.5 83.9 45.6 3.3 85.8 44.3
Not in LF 3.6 81.1 62.4 3.9 83.1 66.3 3.7 81.7 63.6
Total 2.2 85.8 44.3 3.6 84.0 44.3 2.6 85.2 44.3
Cleaning clothes and dishes as % of working age population
Employed 11.1 94.8 38.0 14.5 90.6 35.0 12.1 93.8 37.1
Unemployed 14.9 91.4 52.2 17.7 90.9 55.6 15.8 91.2 53.3
Not in LF 14.4 86.1 68.9 16.1 87.7 72.5 14.9 86.6 70.0
Total 11.9 89.4 50.9 14.9 88.6 52.2 12.7 89.2 51.3
Cleaning utensil / house as % of working age population
Employed 6.3 93.7 34.3 7.4 88.3 29.2 6.6 92.4 32.9
Unemployed 10.2 90.5 49.3 8.3 90.1 50.7 9.6 90.4 49.7
Not in LF 8.8 85.5 67.0 8.8 87.6 70.9 8.8 86.2 68.2
Total 6.9 88.6 48.0 7.7 87.9 48.3 7.1 88.4 48.1
Shopping as % of working age population
Employed 84.3 26.4 65.7 85.3 49.7 75.7 84.6 32.1 68.5
Unemployed 61.1 32.1 47.0 60.7 43.3 51.7 61.0 35.9 48.5
Not in LF 45.9 18.0 24.7 48.7 32.2 35.7 46.7 22.5 28.1
Total 76.1 21.3 48.6 77.7 37.5 57.4 76.6 26.1 51.1
Caring for children/ old/ sick as % of working age population
Employed 23.2 57.8 34.3 24.8 46.9 30.7 23.7 55.1 33.3
Unemployed 13.5 52.7 32.6 12.7 52.1 33.1 13.2 52.5 32.8
Not in LF 11.3 51.3 41.7 10.7 54.1 44.9 11.1 52.2 42.7
Total 20.6 53.7 37.3 21.8 52.0 37.1 21.0 53.2 37.2
Any other Household chores as % of working age population
Employed 23.8 50.1 32.3 25.3 49.8 31.9 24.3 50.0 32.2
Unemployed 19.7 42.9 31.0 19.9 49.4 35.1 19.7 45.1 32.3
Not in LF 17.2 50.1 42.2 17.5 50.3 43.4 17.3 50.2 42.6
Total 22.4 50.0 36.3 23.7 50.2 37.1 22.8 50.0 36.5
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Chart 15.2: Proportion of working age population engaged in
provision of Services for own use by type and sex
100.0 Male Female

90.0
80.0 89.2 88.4
85.2
70.0 76.6
60.0
50.0
53.2
40.0 50.0
30.0
20.0 26.1
21.0 22.8
10.0
2.6 12.7 7.1
0.0
Cooking Cleaning clothes Cleaning utensil Shopping Caring for Any other
and dishes / house children/ old/ Household
sick chores
Table 15.2 indicated that, the largest proportion was by Cleaning clothes and dishes workers, at
51.3 per cent of the working age population, followed by shopping, at 51.1 per cent. As regards
the cooking for own use, 44.3 per cent of the working age population engaged in cooking work,
whereas it was 85.2 per cent for females and only 2.6 per cent male engaged in cooking work.
The proportion of female own use service worker was much higher than that of male counterpart
in almost all the categories (except shopping work).
The distribution of the working age population engaged in provision of services for own final use in
the previous 1 week by education attainment, sex and area for each type of work is provided in table
15.3 given above. About one fifth of the female working age population engaged in Shopping, it was
30.5 per cent in urban areas and 17.2 per cent in rural areas. A clear negative correlation is observed
between the type of services provided and the level of education (except shopping work).
Table 15.3: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1 week, by labour force
Education
Cooking as % of working age population
Some or completed primary 2.2 92.9 46.3 3.5 89.8 46.4 2.6 92.0 46.3
Secondary or post-secondary non-
2.2 82.6 42.3 3.4 81.9 43.4 2.6 82.4 42.7
tertiary
Tertiary 2.2 81.8 22.5 4.7 88.5 33.4 3.6 86.4 29.1
Not specified 1.5 59.4 12.8 3.8 81.6 22.3 1.9 63.6 14.3
Total 2.2 85.8 44.3 3.6 84.0 44.3 2.6 85.2 44.3
Cleaning clothes and dishes as % of working age population
13.8 89.1 51.4 15.7 88.9 53.0 14.5 89.0 51.9
tertiary
Tertiary 12.6 86.2 31.3 13.2 83.7 37.3 12.9 84.5 35.0
Not specified 9.7 75.4 22.5 8.8 88.6 27.8 9.5 77.9 23.3
Total 11.9 89.4 50.9 14.9 88.6 52.2 12.7 89.2 51.3
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Table 15.3: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1 week, by labour force
Education
Cleaning utensil / house as % of working age population
7.4 88.5 47.9 7.9 88.9 49.2 7.5 88.7 48.3
tertiary
Tertiary 5.4 85.2 25.7 6.8 85.3 33.7 6.2 85.3 30.6
Not specified 4.2 74.7 18.0 6.3 80.5 23.9 4.5 75.8 18.9
Total 6.9 88.6 48.0 7.7 87.9 48.3 7.1 88.4 48.1
Shopping as % of working age population
post-secondary non-tertiary 68.3 24.1 46.2 73.3 37.5 55.0 70.0 28.7 49.2
Tertiary 71.5 26.6 60.1 84.0 51.5 72.9 78.7 43.4 67.9
Not specified 49.7 10.1 42.0 55.7 9.0 44.6 50.6 9.9 42.4
Total 76.1 21.3 48.6 77.7 37.5 57.4 76.6 26.1 51.1
Caring for children/ old/ sick as % of working age population
18.9 56.4 37.6 20.4 53.2 37.1 19.4 55.3 37.4
tertiary
Tertiary 19.4 54.5 28.4 26.8 55.3 36.6 23.7 55.0 33.4
Not specified 12.5 50.9 20.0 15.7 60.2 26.3 13.0 52.7 21.0
Total 76.1 21.3 48.6 77.7 37.5 57.4 76.6 26.1 51.1
Any other household chores as % of working age population
20.6 48.7 34.7 22.7 49.9 36.6 21.3 49.1 35.3
tertiary
Tertiary 18.7 47.5 26.1 25.6 44.8 32.2 22.7 45.7 29.8
Not specified 19.0 54.5 25.9 15.7 61.9 26.7 18.5 55.9 26.0
Total 22.4 50.0 36.3 23.7 50.2 37.1 22.8 50.0 36.5
As reflected in table 15.4, employed persons worked an estimated average of 12 hours a week in
2016-17 for own-use provision of services, with male employees working less hours on average,
at 8 hours, than female employees, at 21 hours. By sex, the average working hours were
significantly different both in rural and urban areas.
Table 15.4: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the
previous 1 week, by labour force status, sex and area
Labour force Rural Urban Bangladesh
status Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Employed 8 21 13 8 18 11 8 21 12
Unemployed 11 24 18 12 22 18 11 23 18
Not in LF 11 29 26 11 28 25 11 28 26
Total 9 26 18 9 25 17 9 25 18
Chart 15.3 below indicated that average working hours differs significantly by labour force status
and sex. By sexes, average working hours varies significantly (females worked three times more
than male counterparts) for both in the urban and rural areas.
134 | P a g e
Chart 15.3: Average hours spent in provision of services
by labour force status and sex
29
26 26
24
21
18 18
13
11 11
8 9
Employed Unemployed Not in Labour force Total
Male Female Total
By labour force status, the highest average of working hours per week for the females was found
in Not in Labour Force category, at 29 hours. The second-highest average hours per week was in
Unemployed females, at 24 hours, followed by Employed females, at 21 hours. In contrast, for
males, those in Not in Labour Force and Unemployed categories was found, at 11 hours and the
smallest average of working hours for males in Employed category, at only 8 hours.
Table 15.5: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the
previous 1 week, by age group, sex and area
15-29 9 24 18 8 23 17 9 24 18
30-64 9 27 18 9 27 18 9 27 18
65+ 8 15 11 8 15 10 8 15 11
Total 9 26 18 9 25 17 9 25 18
As indicated in table 15.5, by age group, the highest average of working hours per week was
found in both the young and adult age group 15-29 and 30-64, at 18 hours, followed by old age
group 65+ years, at 11 hours. By sex, the working hours per week for females (25 hours) was
found almost three times higher than male (9 hours) counterparts.
15.3 Employment work

Persons in employment are defined as all those of working age who, during a short reference
period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit or
engaged in any activity to produce goods for own consumption. Based on their main intention of
work, the employed population was categorized into two viz.
1. Pay or profit
2. Own-use production of goods
Almost one-third 34.0 per cent (8.6 million) employed persons aged 15 or older worked for own
use production of goods in the agriculture sector as their main intention of work, followed by
very little in the services (0.1 per cent) and industry sector at 0.1 per cent (Table 15.6) below.
Overall, a total of 14.6 per cent of the employed persons engaged in for own use production of
135 | P a g e
goods as their main intention of work. According to the ILO in its 19th ICLS resolution,
employment work is defined as work performed for others in exchange for pay or profit and using
that definition employment work consist of 51.9 million or 85.4 per cent of the working age
population. In agriculture sector, 64.1 per cent of the work performed for others in exchange for
pay or profit.
Table 15.6: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, and economic sector
(in 000)
Type of employment work Sector
Pay or profit 15840 12416 23702 51958
Own-use production of goods 8853 8 9 8870
Total 24693 12424 23711 60828
Column %
Pay or profit 64.1 99.9 100.0 85.4
Own-use production of goods 35.9 0.1 0.0 14.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Chart 15.4:Percent distribution of employed persons

by intention of work and sector
Total 85.4 14.6
Service 100.0 0.0
Industry 99.9 0.1
Agriculture 64.1 35.9
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Pay or profit Own-use production of goods
As shown in Table 15.7, of the 60.8 million employed persons aged 15 years or older, 51.9
million of them (85.4 per cent) were in employment or engaged in economic activity for pay or
profit; 12.5 million of them were females.
Table 15.7: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, sex and area
(in 000)
Type of employment Rural Urban Bangladesh
work Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Number
Pay or profit 27272 8412 35685 12164 4110 16273 39436 12522 51958
Own-use production of
2537 5663 8200 209 461 669 2746 6124 8870
goods
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
% of total employed
Pay or profit 91.5 59.8 81.3 98.3 89.9 96.0 93.5 67.2 85.4
8.5 40.2 18.7 1.7 10.1 4.0 6.5 32.8 14.6
goods
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Those who were working for own use production of goods; 40.2 per cent of them were females
among female employed; only 8.5 per cent of the male were working for own use production of
goods as their main intention of work (Chart 15.5).
Chart 15.5: Percent distribution of employed persons

by intention of work and sector
100.0
90.0
91.5
80.0
70.0 81.3
60.0
50.0 59.8
40.0
30.0 40.2
20.0
10.0 8.5 18.7
0.0
Male Female Total
Pay or profit Own-use production of goods
15.4 Unpaid trainee/Apprentice work

Persons in unpaid trainee work are defined as all those of working age who, during a short
reference period, performed any unpaid activity to produce goods or provide services for others,
in order to acquire workplace experience or skills in a trade or profession, where:
(a) “short reference period” is usually for 1 week;
(b) “any activity” refers to work for at least one hour;
(c) “unpaid” is interpreted as the absence of remuneration in cash or in kind for work done
or hours worked; nevertheless, these workers may receive some form of support, such as
transfers of education stipends or grants, or occasional in cash or in kind support (e.g. a
meal, drinks);
(d) production “for others” refers to work performed in market and non-market units that are
owned by non-household or non-family members;
(e) acquiring “workplace experience or skills” may occur through traditional, formal or
informal arrangements whether or not a specific qualification or certification is issued.
Included in unpaid trainee work are persons in:

(a) traineeships, apprenticeships, internships or other types of programmes according to
national circumstances, when their engagement in the production process of the
economic unit is unpaid; and
(b) unpaid skills training or retraining schemes within employment promotion programmes,
when engaged in the production process of the economic unit.
Excluded from unpaid trainee work:

(a) periods of probation associated with the start of a job;
(b) general on-the-job or lifelong learning while in employment, including in market and
nonmarket units owned by household or family members;
(c) orientation and learning while engaged in volunteer work;
(d) learning while engaged in own-use production work.
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As indicated in table 15.8, of the 109.1 million persons aged 15 years or older, 129 thousand of
them were engaged in Apprentice work/unpaid; 102 thousand of them were males and the rest
18 thousand females. Almost 91.7 per cent of the was in the younger age groups, 15–29 years
old, whereas only 8.3 per cent of them from the age group 30-64 years. Overall, only 0.1 per cent
of the 109.1 million working age population was engaged in apprentice/unpaid trainee work.
Table 15.8: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by age group, sex and
area (in 000)
15-29 57 6 62 46 11 56 102 16 119
30-64 7 1 8 2 1 3 9 2 11
Total 63 7 70 48 11 59 111 18 129
Column %
15-29 89.6 83.6 89.0 95.0 94.6 94.9 91.9 90.4 91.7
30-64 10.4 16.4 11.0 5.0 5.4 5.1 8.1 9.6 8.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Apprentice as % of working age population
15-29 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.8 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.3
30-64 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1
The highest 44.9 per cent of the apprentice had completed secondary or post-secondary non-
tertiary education, followed by 31.6 per cent had completed tertiary level. Only 1.5 per cent of
them had no education, and 18.7 per cent had completed primary education (table 15.9).
Table 15.9: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by education, sex
and area (in 000)
Education attainment Rural Urban Bangladesh
Some or completed
16 1 17 6 1 7 23 2 24
primary
Secondary or post-
38 5 43 13 2 15 51 7 58
secondary non-tertiary
Tertiary 4 0 5 28 8 36 32 9 41
Not specified 4 0 4 1 0 1 4 0 4
Total 63 7 70 48 11 59 111 18 129
Column %
Some or completed
25.5 12.9 24.3 13.4 6.2 12.0 20.3 8.7 18.7
primary
Secondary or post-
59.9 80.4 61.9 26.5 17.9 24.8 45.5 41.4 44.9
Tertiary 6.7 6.7 6.7 57.9 74.5 61.0 28.7 49.0 31.6
Not specified 5.9 0.0 5.3 1.1 0.0 0.9 3.8 0.0 3.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Some or completed
0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
primary
Secondary or post-
0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
Tertiary 0.3 0.1 0.3 1.5 0.9 1.3 1.0 0.6 0.9
Not specified 1.3 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.8 1.3 0.0 1.0
Total 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1
138 | P a g e
Majority of the estimated Apprentice /unpaid trainee workers, 98.4 per cent or 127 thousand at
the time of the survey was literate (table 15.10) whereas only 1.6 per cent or 2 thousand of the
them was not literate. About 70 thousand of the apprentice / unpaid trainee workers were in the
rural areas; it was 59 thousand in the urban areas.
Table 15.10: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by literacy, sex and
area (in 000)
Literacy status Rural Urban Bangladesh
Literate 62 7 69 47 11 59 109 18 127
Not-literate 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 2
Total 63 7 70 48 11 59 111 18 129
Literate 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.2
Not-literate 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1
Column %
Literate 98.0 100.0 98.2 98.7 98.3 98.7 98.3 98.9 98.4
Not-literate 2.0 0.0 1.8 1.3 1.7 1.3 1.7 1.1 1.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
139 | P a g e
15.5 Volunteer work
Volunteerism plays an important role in the economic growth and poverty alleviation in
Bangladesh. Reliable and up-to-date data on volunteerism is likely to help the planning and
programme towards the development of this important sector. Persons in volunteer work are
defined as all those of working age who, during a short reference period, performed any unpaid,
non-compulsory activity to produce goods or provide services for others, where:
(a) “any activity” refers to work for at least one hour;
(b) “unpaid” is interpreted as the absence of remuneration in cash or in kind for work done or
hours worked; nevertheless, volunteer workers may receive some small form of support or
stipend in cash, when below one third of local market wages (e.g. for out-of-pocket expenses
or to cover living expenses incurred for the activity), or in kind (e.g. meals, transportation,
symbolic gifts);
(c) “non-compulsory” is interpreted as work carried out without civil, legal or administrative
requirement, that are different from the fulfilment of social responsibilities of a communal,
cultural or religious nature;
(d) production “for others” refers to work performed:
i. through, or for organizations comprising market and non-market units (i.e.
organization based volunteering) including through or for self-help, mutual aid or
community-based groups of which the volunteer is a member;
ii. for households, other than the household of the volunteer worker or of related family
members (i.e. direct volunteering).
Excluded from volunteer work:
(a) community service and work by prisoners ordered by a court or similar authority,
compulsory military or alternative civilian service;
(b) unpaid work required as part of education or training programmes (i.e. unpaid trainees);
(c) work for others performed during the working time associated with employment, or
during paid time off from an employee job granted by the employer.
A total of 10.7 million people is found to have volunteered at least once during previous month
of the survey year 2016-17 (table 15.11). Of all volunteers, 68.1 per cent in rural areas and the
remaining 31.9 per cent urban areas. Compared to working age population, urban volunteering
(10.6 per cent) is higher than rural (9.4 per cent).
Table 15.11: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by labour force
status, sex and area (in 000)
Employed 4739 758 5497 2042 372 2413 6781 1129 7910
Unemployed 95 80 176 47 51 98 142 131 273
Not in LF 607 969 1576 275 616 891 883 1585 2467
Total 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
Volunteer as % of working age population
Employed 15.9 5.4 12.5 16.5 8.1 14.2 16.1 6.1 13.0
Unemployed 10.3 9.1 9.7 11.2 11.3 11.3 10.6 9.9 10.2
Not in LF 8.0 4.1 5.0 9.2 5.5 6.3 8.4 4.5 5.4
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
% of total volunteers
Employed 44.5 7.1 51.6 19.2 3.5 22.7 63.7 10.6 74.3
Unemployed 0.9 0.8 1.7 0.4 0.5 0.9 1.3 1.2 2.6
Not in LF 5.7 9.1 14.8 2.6 5.8 8.4 8.3 14.9 23.2
Total 51.1 17.0 68.1 22.2 9.7 31.9 73.3 26.7 100.0
140 | P a g e
The survey reveals that, among the 10.6 million volunteers, male volunteers are as many as 7.8
million or 73.3 per cent and female volunteers are 2.8 million or 26.7 per cent (chart 15.6).
Chart 15.6: Distribution of volunteers by labour force status and sex

100.0
90.0 85.7
80.0 73.3
70.0 64.2
60.0 52.0
48.0
50.0
40.0 35.8
26.7
30.0
20.0 14.3
10.0
0.0
Employed Unemployed Not in LF Total
Male Female
A total of 10.6 million people is found to have volunteered at least once during previous month
of the survey year 2016-17. Distribution of volunteers as percent of total working age population
by labour force status and sex is provided in Chart 15.7 below:
Chart 15.7: Distribution of volunteers by labour force

status and sex
18.0
16.0
16.1
14.0
14.4
12.0 13.0
10.0
10.6 10.2
9.9 9.8
8.0
8.4
6.0
6.1
4.0 5.4 5.2
4.5
2.0
0.0
Employed Unemployed Not in Labour Force Total
Male Female Total
By labour force status, 16.1 per cent of the total employed persons engaged in the volunteer work,
followed by 10.6 per cent of the unemployed persons and only 8.4 per cent of the persons outside
the labour force was engaged in the volunteering (chart 15.7).
141 | P a g e
Chart 15.8: Distribution of volunteers as % of total population
by education and sex
Total 5.2
14.4
Not specified 3.6

16.7
Tertiary 9.5
24.8
Secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary 5.6

14.5
Some or completed primary 5.3

14.3
No primary schooling 4.2

12.2
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0
Female Male
Nearly 24.4 per cent of all volunteers have reported possessing no formal education. On the other
hand, those having primary education are 22.6 per cent as compared to 43.8 per cent with
secondary and post-secondary level education and 8.6 per cent with tertiary level education (table
15.12).
Table 15.12: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by education, sex and
area
Some or completed
1285 413 1699 493 217 710 1779 630 2409
primary
Secondary or post-
2219 800 3019 1133 515 1648 3352 1315 4666
Tertiary 387 45 432 394 88 482 781 133 914
Not specified 50 2 52 7 1 8 57 3 60
Total 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
Some or completed
14.0 4.8 9.5 15.0 6.7 10.9 14.3 5.3 9.9
primary
Secondary or post-
14.5 5.2 9.9 14.7 6.4 10.4 14.5 5.6 10.1
Tertiary 29.0 9.8 24.1 21.7 9.3 17.5 24.8 9.5 20.1
Not specified 17.4 2.5 14.5 12.6 8.4 11.6 16.7 3.6 14.1
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
Column %
Some or completed
23.6 22.9 23.4 20.9 20.9 20.9 22.8 22.2 22.6
primary
Secondary or post-
40.8 44.3 41.6 47.9 49.6 48.4 42.9 46.2 43.8
Tertiary 7.1 2.5 6.0 16.7 8.5 14.2 10.0 4.7 8.6
Not specified 0.9 0.1 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
142 | P a g e
Chart 15.9: Distribution of volunteers as percent of total population
by age group and sex
18.2
15.7
14.4
8.4
5.9 5.2
4.6
2.7
15-29 30-64 65+ TOTAL
Male Female
In age group 30-64 years, the volunteer rate was relatively higher, as high as 18.2 per cent and
5.9 per cent for male and female respectively, followed by 65+ age group, at 15.7 per cent and
2.7 per cent, and proportion of volunteers as per cent of working age population is relatively
smaller in the age group 15-29 age group.
Table 15.13: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by age group sex
and area (in 000)
Volunteer worker
15-29 1167 616 1783 473 377 849 1640 993 2632
30-64 3723 1124 4847 1723 638 2362 5447 1762 7209
65+ 552 67 618 168 23 191 720 90 809
Total 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
Working age population
15-29 13856 14661 28517 5777 6959 12736 19633 21620 41254
30-64 20863 21531 42394 8993 8498 17491 29856 30029 59885
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
15-29 8.4 4.2 6.3 8.2 5.4 6.7 8.4 4.6 6.4
30-64 17.8 5.2 11.4 19.2 7.5 13.5 18.2 5.9 12.0
65+ 15.4 2.6 10.0 16.6 3.2 11.0 15.7 2.7 10.2
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
The rate of male volunteers was 14.4 per cent while the rate was 5.2 for the female counterparts.
It was 9.4 per cent for the rural areas (14.2 per cent for male and 4.7 per cent for female) and
10.6 for the urban areas (15.0 per cent for male and 6.4 per cent for female). Overall, 14.4 per
cent male and 5.2 per cent female of the working age population was engaged in volunteer work.
143 | P a g e
144 | P a g e
Chapter 16
Labour underutilization
16.1 Labour underutilization
Labour underutilization refers to mismatches between labour supply and demand, which
translate into an unmet need for employment among the population. Measures of labour
underutilization include the following types:
(a) time-related underemployment, when the working time of persons in employment is
insufficient in relation to alternative employment situations in which they are willing and
available to engage; Skills related underutilization is not included here;
(b) unemployment, reflecting an active job search by persons not in employment who are
available for this form of work;
(c) potential labour force, referring to persons not in employment who express an interest
in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or
their availability.
The distribution of the under-utilized working age population by quarter, area and sex for the
survey period 2016-17 is provided in table 16.1 below. A total of 6.6 million population aged 15
years or older was underutilized.
Table 16.1: Labour under-utilization of the country, by quarter, sex and area
(in '000)
Q1 2067 2500 4567 794 1138 1931 2861 3638 6498
Q2 2426 2210 4636 937 1097 2034 3364 3306 6670
Q3 2270 2371 4641 876 1229 2105 3146 3600 6746
Q4 2288 2042 4330 820 1237 2057 3108 3279 6387
Year 2263 2281 4544 857 1175 2032 3119 3456 6575
It is evident from chart 16.1 that the number of females were more underutilized in all the
quarters, both in rural and urban areas. By largest share, there were more females, (3.5 million
or) than males (3.1 million) of the working age population.
8.0 Chart 16.1: Labour underutilization (in million) by quarter and sex
7.0
6.0 3.6 3.3 3.6 3.5
3.3
5.0
4.0
3.0
3.4 3.1 3.1 3.1
2.0 2.9
1.0
0.0
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year
Male Female
147 | P a g e
Table 16.2: Labour under-utilization of the country, by age group sex and area
(in '000)
15-29 1527 1360 2888 635 761 1396 2162 2122 4284
30-64 699 914 1614 218 412 631 918 1327 2244
65+ 36 6 42 3 1 5 40 7 47
Total 2263 2281 4544 857 1175 2032 3119 3456 6575
Column %
15-29 67.5 59.6 63.6 74.1 64.8 68.7 69.3 61.4 65.2
30-64 30.9 40.1 35.5 25.5 35.1 31.0 29.4 38.4 34.1
65+ 1.6 0.3 0.9 0.4 0.1 0.2 1.3 0.2 0.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
15-29 11.0 9.3 10.1 11.0 10.9 11.0 11.0 9.8 10.4
30-64 3.4 4.2 3.8 2.4 4.9 3.6 3.1 4.4 3.7
65+ 1.0 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.9 0.2 0.6
Total 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.4 7.3 6.4 5.8 6.3 6.0
As reflected in table 16.2, the largest share of the under-utilized population (65.2 per cent) belongs to
the young age group, aged 15-29 years, followed by (34.1 per cent) from the age group 30-64 years
and 65+ years (0.7 per cent). Overall, about 6.0 per cent of the working age population were under-
utilized during the survey period 2016-17. Between the sexes by largest share, there were more
females, (5.8 per cent) than males (6.3 per cent) of the working age population.
Table 16.3: Labour under-utilization as % of WAP, by education attainment, sex and area
(in '000)
Number % of working age population
Education Under - WAP Under -
Unemp TRU PLF Unemp TRU PLF
utilized utilized
No primary schooling 300 450 344 1094 33362 0.9 1.3 1.0 3.3
Some or completed
428 363 282 1074 24368 1.8 1.5 1.2 4.4
primary
Secondary or post-
1534 570 1632 3736 46343 3.3 1.2 3.5 8.1
Tertiary 405 76 163 645 4554 8.9 1.7 3.6 14.2
Not specified 9 6 11 27 427 2.2 1.4 2.6 6.3
Total 2677 1465 2434 6575 109054 2.5 1.3 2.2 6.0
* PLF=Potential labour force, TRU=Time related underemployment, Unemp=Unemployment
Table 16.3 reflects the distribution of the under-utilized in terms of their education level. Of those
who were under-utilized in 2016-17, of them, the highest share 14.2 per cent of the working age
population had completed tertiary level of education, followed by 8.1 per cent who had completed
secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary level, 4.4 per cent completed primary level and 3.3 per cent
had no formal education (Chart 16.2 below).
Chart 16.2: Labour under-utilization as % of working age population

by education attainment
14.2
8.1
6.3 6.0
3.3 4.4
No primary Some or completed Secondary or post- Tertiary Not specified Total

schooling primary secondary non-
tertiary
148 | P a g e
16.2 Time-related underemployment
Persons in time-related underemployment are defined as all persons in employment who,
during a short reference period, wanted to work additional hours, whose working time in all jobs
was less than a specified hours threshold, and who were available to work additional hours given
an opportunity for more work, where:
(a) the “working time” concept is hours actually worked or hours usually worked,
dependent on the measurement objective (short or long-term situations) and in
accordance with the international statistical standards on the topic;
(b) “additional hours” may be hours in the same job, in an additional job(s) or in a
replacement job(s);
(c) the “hours threshold” is based on the boundary between full-time and part-time
employment, on the median or modal values of the hours usually worked of all
persons in employment, or on working time norms as specified in relevant legislation
or national practice, and set for specific worker groups;
(d) “available” for additional hours should be established in reference to a set short
reference period that reflects the typical length of time required in the national
context between leaving one job and starting another.
Table 16.4: Time related underemployed (less than 40 hours) of the country, by age group, sex and
area (in '000)
15-29 310 182 492 102 68 170 412 250 662

30-64 397 236 633 104 51 155 502 286 788
65+ 12 2 13 1 0 1 13 2 15
Total 719 419 1139 207 119 326 926 539 1465
Column %
15-29 43.1 43.4 43.2 49.1 57.1 52.1 44.5 46.4 45.2
30-64 55.2 56.2 55.6 50.4 42.5 47.5 54.1 53.2 53.8
65+ 1.6 0.4 1.2 0.5 0.3 0.4 1.4 0.4 1.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
TRU as % of employed
15-29 3.7 4.5 3.9 2.9 3.6 3.1 3.4 4.2 3.7
30-64 2.0 2.4 2.2 1.2 1.9 1.4 1.8 2.3 1.9
65+ 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.2 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.6
Total 2.4 3.0 2.6 1.7 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.9 2.4
Of all employed (60.8 million) persons in the country in 2016-17, an estimated 1.5
million persons (2.4 per cent) were underemployed (table 16.4). Of them, 0.93 million
were male (2.2 per cent of total male employed) and 0.54 million were female (2.9 per
cent of total female employed). And the majority of them lived in rural areas, at 1.14
million persons, compared with 0.33 million persons in urban areas.
149 | P a g e
16.3 Unemployment
Persons in unemployment are defined as all those of working age who were not in employment,
carried out activities to seek employment during a specified recent period and were currently
available to take up employment given a job opportunity, where:
(a) “not in employment” is assessed with respect to the short reference period for the
measurement of employment;
(b) to “seek employment” refers to any activity when carried out, during a specified
recent period comprising the last four weeks or one month, for the purpose of finding a
job or setting up a business or agricultural undertaking.
Chart 16.3: Percent distribution of unemployed persons by age group

and sex
Youth, 15-29 Adults, 30+ years
Male Female
Based on the survey findings (table 16.5), an estimated 2.68 million population aged 15 or older
were unemployed at the time of the survey. Male accounted for 1.35 million, with 1.33 million
females. An estimated 2.1 million or 79.9 per cent of the unemployed population were youths,
aged 15-29 years, followed by 20.4 per cent in the age group 30-64 years. Among the youth
unemployed persons, the proportion of male (80.2 per cent) was slightly higher than that of
female (79.0 per cent) counterparts (Chart 16.3).
Table 16.5: Unemployed population of the country, by age group, sex and area
(in '000)
15-29 742 676 1417 338 376 713 1079 1051 2131
30-64 188 206 394 80 73 152 267 279 546
65+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Column %
15-29 79.8 76.6 78.3 80.9 83.8 82.4 80.2 79.0 79.6
30-64 20.2 23.4 21.7 19.1 16.2 17.6 19.8 21.0 20.4
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
150 | P a g e
16.4 Potential labour force (entrants)
Potential labour force is defined as all persons of working age who, during the short reference
period, were neither in employment nor in unemployment and: (a) carried out activities to “seek
employment”, were not “currently available” but would become available within a short
subsequent period established in the light of national circumstances (i.e. unavailable jobseekers);
or (b) did not carry out activities to “seek employment”, but wanted employment and were
“currently available” (i.e. available potential jobseekers).
Table 16.6: Potential labour force aged 15 years or over, by age group, sex and area
(in '000)
15-29 475 503 978 195 318 513 671 820 1491
30-64 114 473 587 34 289 323 149 762 910
65+ 25 4 29 2 1 3 27 5 32
Total 614 980 1594 232 607 840 846 1587 2434
Not in labour force 7556 23839 31395 2995 11160 14155 10551 34998 45549
Working age population 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Column %
15-29 77.4 51.3 61.4 84.1 52.3 61.1 79.2 51.7 61.3
30-64 18.6 48.3 36.8 14.8 47.6 38.5 17.6 48.0 37.4
65+ 4.0 0.4 1.8 1.1 0.2 0.4 3.2 0.3 1.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Column %
PLF as % of NLF 8.1 4.1 5.1 7.8 5.4 5.9 8.0 4.5 5.3
PLF as % of WAP 1.6 2.5 2.1 1.5 3.8 2.6 1.6 2.9 2.2
 PLF-Potential labour force, NLF-Not in labour force, WAP-Working age population
As shown in table 16.6, of the 109.1 million persons aged 15 years or older, 45.5 million of them
were outside the labour force or not engaged in economic activity and among them 2.4 million
or 5.3 per cent were potential labour force (either looking for the job or available for the job).
Among the 2.4 million potential labour force of the population who are basically not engaged in
any economic activity, almost 1.5 million or 61.3 per cent of the them population was in the
younger age groups, 15–29 years old. About one-thirds (37.4 per cent) of the potential labour
force was belongs to the adult age group (30-64), whereas only 1.3 per cent of the population
from the age group 65+ years old.
Chart 16.4: Distribution of potential labour force by age group and sex
(in '000)
Total
1587
846
65+
5
27
Female Male
30-64
762
149
15-29
820
671
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
151 | P a g e
16.5 Labour underutilization by type
As mentioned earlier, there are following three types of underutilization viz. time-related
underemployment, unemployment, and potential labour force.
Table 16.7: Labour under-utilization, by type, sex and area
(in '000)
Type of Rural Urban Bangladesh
underutilization Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Unemployed 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
TRU<40 hours 719 419 1139 207 119 326 926 539 1465
Potential labour
614 980 1594 232 607 840 846 1587 2434
force
Total 2263 2281 4544 857 1175 2032 3119 3456 6575
Column % of underutilized
Unemployed 41.1 38.7 39.9 48.7 38.2 42.6 43.2 38.5 40.7
TRU<40 hours 31.8 18.4 25.1 24.2 10.2 16.1 29.7 15.6 22.3
Potential labour
27.1 43.0 35.1 27.1 51.7 41.3 27.1 45.9 37.0
force
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
*TRU- Time related underemployment
As reflected in table 16.7, number of females (1.59 million) were more than twice than male
counterparts (0.85 million) in relation to potential labour force- referring to persons not in
employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit
their active job search and/or their availability. Total number of males (0.93 million) were almost
twice than females (0.54 million) in case of time related underemployment-when the working
time of persons in employment is insufficient in relation to alternative employment situations in
which they are willing and available to engage; but for the unemployment-reflecting an active
job search by persons not in employment who are available for this form of work, number of
females (1.35 million) and males (1.33 million) were found almost same for the unemployed.
Chart 16.5: Proportion of labour underutilization by type and sex

120
100
27.1
80 37.0
45.9
60 29.7
22.3
15.6
40
20 43.2 38.5 40.7
0
Male Female Total
Unemployed Time related underemployed<40 hours Potential labour force
152 | P a g e
Chapter 17
Labour migration
This chapter presents the survey findings on migrant persons by their reason for moving and current
economic activity status as well as the labour force participation rate, and unemployment rate for
the migrant population. Migration is defined as the process of changing residence from one
geographical location to another.
17.1 Distribution of migrant and non-migrant persons

The survey questionnaire included questions on place of birth as well as place of previous residence.
According to the findings (table 17.1), the estimated percentage of migrants to total population aged
15 or older was 19.3 per cent (2.1 million migrants). It was 39.0 per cent (12.6 million migrants) in
the urban areas and 10.1 per cent (8.5 million migrants) in the rural areas. Among the migrants, 6.8
million of them were male (32.3 per cent) and 14.2 million were female (67.7 per cent).
Table 17.1: Distribution of migrant vs non-migrant persons, sex and area
Migration Rural Urban Bangladesh

Q1 (%)
Migrant 3.8 19.4 11.6 34.8 44.6 39.7 12.8 26.8 19.8
Non-migrant 96.2 80.6 88.4 65.2 55.4 60.3 87.2 73.2 80.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Q2 (%)
Migrant 3.6 19.3 11.5 34.4 44.3 39.4 12.7 26.7 19.7
Non-migrant 96.4 80.7 88.5 65.6 55.7 60.6 87.3 73.3 80.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Q3 (%)
Migrant 3.4 17.9 10.7 34.4 43.5 39.0 12.4 25.4 19.0
Non-migrant 96.6 82.1 89.3 65.6 56.5 61.0 87.6 74.6 81.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Q4 (%)
Migrant 3.3 16.8 10.1 34.6 43.4 39.0 12.4 24.6 18.6
Non-migrant 96.7 83.2 89.9 65.4 56.6 61.0 87.6 75.4 81.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Year (Number in million)
Migrant 1.3 7.1 8.5 5.5 7.1 12.6 6.8 14.2 21.0
Non-migrant 37.0 31.7 68.6 10.3 9.1 19.4 47.3 40.7 88.0
Total 38.3 38.8 77.1 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.1 55.0 109.1
Year %
Migrant 3.5 18.3 11.0 34.5 43.9 39.3 12.6 25.9 19.3
Non-migrant 96.5 81.7 89.0 65.5 56.1 60.7 87.4 74.1 80.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
155 | P a g e
Table 17.2 below indicated the distribution of migrant population by age group, sex and area. By
age group, more migrants were found in the 25-29 age group, at 3.5 million persons or 25.5 per cent,
with just slightly fewer (24.6 per cent) among those aged 30-34 years; followed by the 20-24 age
group, at 2.8 million persons or 21.9 per cent; and 35-39 age group, at 2.7 million persons or 22.2
per cent. The pattern was twice higher for females, with more female migrants in all the age groups.
Almost two-fifth of the working age population in the urban areas (12.6 million or 39.3 per cent)
were migrant whereas only one-tenth (11.0 per cent) of them were migrant in the rural areas.
Table 17.2: Distribution of migrant population, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Age group Rural Urban Total
15-19 115 426 541 478 680 1158 593 1106 1699
20-24 94 1136 1230 492 1064 1557 587 2200 2787
25-29 177 1287 1465 722 1335 2057 900 2622 3522
30-34 179 1020 1199 783 1030 1812 961 2050 3011
35-39 170 911 1081 747 879 1626 917 1790 2707
40-44 140 625 766 620 578 1198 760 1203 1964
45-49 102 532 635 458 524 982 560 1057 1617
50-54 88 383 471 390 364 754 478 746 1225
55-59 76 280 356 279 262 541 355 542 897
60-64 58 208 266 216 174 390 274 382 656
65 + 142 308 450 266 219 485 408 527 935
Total 1342 7118 8460 5451 7108 12559 6793 14226 21019
% of total working age population
15-19 2.0 9.1 5.2 22.4 31.7 27.0 7.5 16.3 11.5
20-24 2.4 23.8 14.1 29.4 46.2 39.1 10.4 31.1 21.9
25-29 4.3 24.6 15.7 36.7 53.2 45.9 14.8 33.9 25.5
30-34 4.7 22.6 14.4 41.4 50.4 46.1 16.9 31.2 24.6
35-39 4.2 20.5 12.7 40.9 47.8 44.3 15.5 28.5 22.2
40-44 4.4 19.4 12.0 42.7 44.8 43.6 16.4 26.7 21.5
45-49 3.2 16.6 10.0 35.3 41.6 38.5 12.6 23.7 18.1
50-54 3.5 15.5 9.5 38.0 41.2 39.5 13.6 22.2 17.8
55-59 3.4 13.4 8.2 33.3 37.7 35.3 11.4 19.5 15.2
60-64 3.1 13.2 7.7 32.6 35.4 33.8 10.7 18.5 14.2
65 + 4.0 11.8 7.3 26.2 30.4 28.0 8.9 15.9 11.8
Total 3.5 18.3 11.0 34.5 43.9 39.3 12.6 25.9 19.3
About two-fifth of all migrants (40.4 per cent) cited "Marriage” as their reason for changing residence,
followed by “Family reason” (29.5 per cent), referring to any family member who had moved to the place
of enumeration from a previous residence because the entire family had moved (table 17.3). The third
most frequent reason given was “In search of employment/job” (24.3 per cent).
Table 17.3: Distribution of migrant persons, by reasons for moving, sex and area
(in 000)
Reasons for leave Rural Urban Bangladesh
In search of employment 47.2 2.8 9.9 61.3 13.2 34.1 58.5 8.0 24.3
Job transfer 3.1 0.3 0.8 3.5 0.9 2.0 3.5 0.6 1.5
Family reason 29.8 9.6 12.8 26.6 51.6 40.8 27.3 30.6 29.5
Study / training 0.9 0.2 0.3 4.0 1.5 2.6 3.4 0.8 1.7
Marriage 10.7 85.2 73.3 1.4 31.2 18.2 3.2 58.2 40.4
Natural disaster 3.4 0.5 1.0 0.5 0.2 0.3 1.0 0.4 0.6
Political reason 0.4 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1
Conflict 0.8 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.2
Other reason 3.7 1.3 1.7 2.4 1.3 1.8 2.7 1.3 1.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
156 | P a g e
According to the findings on current economic activity or labour force status (table 17.4), most of
the migrants were employed, at 53.5 per cent, followed by not in labour force, at 44.4 per cent and
only 2.1 per cent for the unemployed persons. By sex, there exists different pattern; 85.8 per cent
of the male migrant were employed whereas it was 38.1 per cent for the female migrant. Female
migrants were dominated by the not in labour force (59.4 per cent) group, followed by employed
group (38.1 per cent) and the rest in the unemployed group, at 2.5 per cent.
Table 17.4: Distribution of total migrant persons, by labour force status, sex and area
(in 000)
Labour Rural Urban Bangladesh
force status Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Migrant
Employed 1125 2929 4054 4702 2492 7194 5827 5421 11247
Unemployed 13 178 192 82 171 252 95 349 444
Not in LF 204 4011 4214 668 4446 5113 871 8456 9328
Total 1342 7118 8460 5451 7108 12559 6793 14226 21019
Employed 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Unemployed 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Not in LF 7556 23839 31395 2995 11160 14155 10551 34998 45549
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Column % of migrants
Employed 83.8 41.1 47.9 86.2 35.1 57.3 85.8 38.1 53.5
Unemployed 1.0 2.5 2.3 1.5 2.4 2.0 1.4 2.5 2.1
Not in LF 15.2 56.3 49.8 12.2 62.5 40.7 12.8 59.4 44.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Migrants as % of working age population
Employed 3.8 20.8 9.2 38.0 54.5 42.5 13.8 29.1 18.5
Unemployed 1.4 20.2 10.6 19.6 38.0 29.2 7.1 26.2 16.6
Not in LF 2.7 16.8 13.4 22.3 39.8 36.1 8.3 24.2 20.5
Total 3.5 18.3 11.0 34.5 43.9 39.3 12.6 25.9 19.3
As reflected in chart 17.1 and table 17.5, the proportion of migrants were highest in the tertiary
education, at 35.4 per cent, followed by Secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary, at 20.8 per cent,
some or completed primary, at 18.9 per cent, and only 15.3 per cent for the not formally educated
persons. By sex, a clear positive correlation was observed, the higher education level, the higher
proportion of migrants.
Chart 17.1: Migrant as percent of working age population,
by education
Total 19.3
Not specified 6.7
Tertiary 35.4
Secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary 20.8
Some or completed primary 18.9
No primary schooling 15.3
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0
157 | P a g e
Table 17.5: Distribution of migrant population, by education attainment, sex and area
(in 000)
Some or completed primary 294 1647 1941 1141 1533 2674 1434 3180 4614
Secondary or post-secondary
549 3220 3769 2448 3440 5888 2997 6660 9657
non-tertiary
Tertiary 59 137 196 886 532 1418 945 669 1614
Not specified 6 6 11 12 5 17 18 11 29
Total 1342 7118 8460 5451 7108 12559 6793 14226 21019
Migrants as % of working age population
3.6 21.1 12.3 31.7 42.8 37.3 13.0 28.6 20.8
non-tertiary
Tertiary 4.4 30.0 10.9 48.8 56.2 51.3 30.0 47.7 35.4
Not specified 2.0 7.9 3.2 23.1 31.6 25.1 5.2 12.4 6.7
Total 3.5 18.3 11.0 34.5 43.9 39.3 12.6 25.9 19.3
The distribution of the migrant population varies widely by locality and division (Table 17.6). In
rural areas, the largest proportion of migrant was in Dhaka, at 30.2 per cent, followed by 17.1 per
cent in Chittagong, and 15.2 per cent in Khulna division. In both urban and rural areas, the female
migrants were much higher than male counterparts. At the national level, female (25.9 per cent)
migrant was as double than that of male (12.6 per cent) migrant.
Table 17.6: Distribution of migrant population, by education attainment, sex and area
(in 000)
Division Rural Urban Total
Barisal 21 221 243 63 109 172 84 331 414
Chittagong 171 1189 1361 739 1180 1919 910 2370 3280
Dhaka 608 2203 2811 3931 4427 8358 4539 6630 11169
Khulna 139 1055 1194 251 459 711 390 1514 1904
Rajshahi 163 1181 1343 253 518 771 416 1699 2115
Rangpur 179 801 981 118 237 355 297 1038 1335
Sylhet 60 467 528 97 177 273 157 644 801
Total 1342 7118 8460 5451 7108 12559 6793 14226 21019
Barisal 0.9 9.0 5.1 11.1 18.8 15.0 2.9 10.9 7.0
Chittagong 2.8 16.8 10.2 26.1 38.3 32.4 10.1 23.3 17.1
Dhaka 5.6 20.6 13.1 51.1 56.7 53.9 24.5 35.8 30.2
Khulna 2.8 21.4 12.1 19.4 35.0 27.2 6.2 24.3 15.2
Rajshahi 2.7 20.4 11.5 15.9 32.0 24.0 5.5 22.9 14.2
Rangpur 3.3 15.8 9.3 9.5 20.6 14.9 4.4 16.7 10.3
Sylhet 2.3 17.0 9.9 16.8 28.3 22.8 4.9 19.1 12.2
Total 3.5 18.3 11.0 34.5 43.9 39.3 12.6 25.9 19.3
158 | P a g e
Chart 17.2: Migrant as percent of working age population by division
35.0
30.0
30.2
25.0
20.0
19.3
15.0 17.1
15.2
14.2
10.0 12.2
10.3
5.0 7.0
0.0
Barisal Chittagong Dhaka Khulna Rajshahi Rangpur Sylhet Total
The distribution of the migrant population, by division and locality is provided in table 17.7 below.
Table 17.7: Distribution of migrant population, by division and locality
(in 000)
Number Per cent
Rural Urban City Total Rural Urban City Total
Barisal 243 80 92 414 5.1 9.3 32.6 7.0
Chittagong 1361 549 1370 3280 10.2 17.6 49.0 17.1
Dhaka 2811 2370 5988 11169 13.1 35.5 67.9 30.2
Khulna 1194 460 251 1904 12.1 22.9 41.6 15.2
Rajshahi 1343 598 173 2115 11.5 21.5 40.6 14.2
Rangpur 981 260 95 1335 9.3 12.2 36.3 10.3
Sylhet 528 173 100 801 9.9 20.3 29.1 12.2
Total 8460 4491 8069 21019 11.0 24.4 59.6 19.3
Chart 17.3 indicated that, highest 59.6 per cent of the working age population aged 15 years or older
were found as migrant in the city corporation area, followed by 24.4 per cent at the urban area, and
only 11.0 per cent in the rural areas.
Chart 17.3: Migrant as percent of working age population by locality

70.0
60.0
59.6
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0 24.4
19.3
10.0
11.0
0.0
159 | P a g e
17.2 Labour force participation rate of migrants and non-migrants
The estimated migrant labour force participation rate for migrants was higher than non-migrants
both for male and female (table 17.8). It was at 87.2 per cent for male migrants and 79.5 per cent for
male non-migrants and 40.6 for migrants female and 34.9 for non-migrants females. The highest
rate of migrant labour force participation was found among those aged 25-29 years and 30-64 years.
In all age groups, the migrant labour force participation rate was higher for both sex than the non-
migrants.
Table 17.8: Labour force participation rate of migrants and non-migrants and the difference, by age
group and sex
Migrant Non-migrant Difference
Age group and sex
Labour force participation rate (LFPR)
Male 87.2 79.5 7.6
Total
Female 40.6 34.9 5.7
Male 64.4 53.5 10.8
18-24
Female 37.4 22.9 14.5
Male 95.0 93.8 1.2
25-29
Female 44.3 42.4 1.8
Male 95.5 94.5 1.0
30-64
Female 42.7 42.1 0.6
Male 47.6 47.1 0.6
65+
Female 10.1 8.5 1.6
17.3 Unemployment rate of migrants and non-migrants

The unemployment rate for non-migrant was higher than migrants for both male and female, at 3.3
per cent and 6.9 per cent respectively for non-migrants, compared with 1.6 per cent for male and 6.0
per cent for migrants. The highest rate of male migrant unemployment was found among persons
aged 18-24 years (5.9 per cent), while the highest rate among females was 11.6 per cent among age
group25-29 (table 17.9 below).
Table 17.9: Unemployment rate of migrants and non-migrants and the difference, by age group and
sex
Migrant Non-migrant Difference
Category
Unemployment rate
Male 1.6 3.3 -1.7
Total
Female 6.0 6.9 -0.9
Male 5.9 10.6 -4.7
18-24
Female 11.0 19.8 -8.8
Male 2.7 6.4 -3.7
25-29
Female 11.6 14.0 -2.4
Male 0.7 1.0 -0.3
30-65
Female 2.4 2.1 0.2
160 | P a g e
Annex-1
Statistical tables
Table S1: Total population of the country, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 58.4 57.3 115.7 22.7 22.9 45.6 81.2 80.2 161.3
Q2 58.0 57.4 115.4 22.9 23.0 45.9 80.9 80.4 161.3
Q3 58.1 57.6 115.7 22.8 22.8 45.6 80.9 80.4 161.3
Q4 58.1 57.2 115.3 22.9 23.1 46.0 81.0 80.3 161.3
Year 2016-17 58.2 57.4 115.5 22.8 23.0 45.8 81.0 80.3 161.3
Table S2 Total working age population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 38.4 38.7 77.1 15.7 16.0 31.8 54.1 54.7 108.8
Q2 38.0 38.6 76.6 15.8 16.3 32.1 53.9 54.8 108.7
Q3 38.4 39.0 77.5 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.3 55.2 109.5
Q4 38.3 38.9 77.2 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.1 55.1 109.2
Year 2016-17 38.3 38.8 77.1 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.1 55.0 109.1
Table S3 Total labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 30.3 14.9 45.2 12.7 4.9 17.6 43.0 19.8 62.8
Q2 30.8 14.8 45.6 12.8 5.3 18.2 43.6 20.1 63.7
Q3 31.0 15.2 46.2 12.8 5.0 17.8 43.9 20.2 64.1
Q4 30.8 15.0 45.8 12.8 4.8 17.6 43.6 19.8 63.4
Year 2016-17 30.7 15.0 45.7 12.8 5.0 17.8 43.5 20.0 63.5
Table S4: Total Labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex
Quarter Number (in million) %

Male Female Total Male Female Total
Q1 43.0 19.8 62.8 68.5 31.5 100.0
Q2 43.6 20.1 63.7 68.4 31.6 100.0
Q3 43.9 20.2 64.1 68.5 31.5 100.0
Q4 43.6 19.8 63.4 68.7 31.3 100.0
Year 2016-17 43.5 20.0 63.5 68.5 31.5 100.0
163 | P a g e
Annex-1
Table S5: Not in Labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex

Q1 11.1 34.9 46.0 24.1 75.9 100.0
Q2 10.3 34.7 45.0 22.8 77.2 100.0
Q3 10.4 35.1 45.4 22.8 77.2 100.0
Q4 10.5 35.3 45.8 22.9 77.1 100.0
Year 2016-17 10.6 35.0 45.5 23.2 76.8 100.0
Table S6: Employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex

Q1 41.9 18.5 60.4 69.3 30.7 100.0
Q2 42.2 18.9 61.0 69.1 30.9 100.0
Q3 42.5 18.7 61.2 69.5 30.5 100.0
Q4 42.2 18.5 60.7 69.5 30.5 100.0
Year 2016-17 42.2 18.6 60.8 69.3 30.7 100.0
Table S7: Employed population aged 15 years or older, by quarter and sector
(in million)
Industry Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year
2016-17
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 24.6 25.0 24.7 24.5 24.7
Mining and quarrying 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Manufacturing 8.6 8.9 9.0 8.6 8.8
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioners 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Water supply, sewerage, waste management 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Construction 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.5 3.4
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor 8.6 8.6 8.5 8.8 8.7
Transportation and storage 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.4 5.2
Accommodation and food service activities 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2
Information and communication 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2
Financial and insurance activities 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Real estate activities 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Professional, scientific and technical a 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3
Administrative and support service activities 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4
Public administration and defense 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Education 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2
Human health and social work activities 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Arts, entertainment and recreation 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Other service activities 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4
Activities of households as employers, u 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.3 1.2
Activities of extraterritorial organization 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 60.8
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Annex-1
Table S8: Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by quarter and sex

Q1 1.2 1.3 2.4 48.5 51.5 100.0
Q2 1.4 1.3 2.7 53.2 46.8 100.0
Q3 1.4 1.5 2.9 47.9 52.1 100.0
Q4 1.4 1.3 2.7 51.6 48.4 100.0
Year 2016-17 1.3 1.3 2.7 50.3 49.7 100.0
Table S9: Total Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 0.7 0.7 1.4 0.4 0.5 1.0 1.2 1.3 2.4
Q2 1.0 0.9 1.9 0.4 0.4 0.8 1.4 1.3 2.7
Q3 1.0 1.0 2.0 0.4 0.5 0.9 1.4 1.5 2.9
Q4 1.0 0.9 1.9 0.4 0.4 0.8 1.4 1.3 2.7
Year 2016-17 0.9 0.9 1.8 0.4 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.3 2.7
Table S10: Total Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by division, sex and quarter
(in million)
Division Quarterly estimate Yearly estimate
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Male Female Total
Barisal 125 175 194 187 96 75 170
Chittagong 301 458 385 319 200 166 366
Dhaka 792 753 709 615 439 278 717
Khulna 279 272 320 331 141 159 300
Rajshahi 402 424 512 484 205 250 455
Rangpur 450 511 625 622 194 358 552
Sylhet 92 119 111 143 72 44 116
Total 2440 2710 2855 2701 1347 1330 2677
Column %
Barisal 5.1 6.4 6.8 6.9 7.1 5.6 6.4
Chittagong 12.3 16.9 13.5 11.8 14.8 12.5 13.7
Dhaka 32.4 27.8 24.8 22.8 32.6 20.9 26.8
Khulna 11.4 10.0 11.2 12.3 10.5 12.0 11.2
Rajshahi 16.5 15.6 17.9 17.9 15.2 18.8 17.0
Rangpur 18.4 18.8 21.9 23.0 14.4 26.9 20.6
Sylhet 3.8 4.4 3.9 5.3 5.4 3.3 4.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Annex-1
Table S11: Not in labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 8.1 23.8 31.9 3.0 11.1 14.1 11.1 34.9 46.0
Q2 7.2 23.8 31.0 3.0 10.9 13.9 10.3 34.7 45.0
Q3 7.4 23.9 31.3 3.0 11.2 14.2 10.4 35.1 45.4
Q4 7.5 23.9 31.4 3.0 11.4 14.4 10.5 35.3 45.8
Year 2016-17 7.6 23.8 31.4 3.0 11.2 14.2 10.6 35.0 45.5
Table S12: Distribution of the population, by sex and quarter

(in million)
Sex Quarters of 2016-17 Yearly estimate of 2016-17
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Rural Urban Total
Male 81.2 80.9 80.9 81.0 58.2 22.8 81.0
Female 80.2 80.4 80.4 80.3 57.4 23.0 80.3
Total 161.3 161.3 161.3 161.3 115.5 45.8 161.3
Column %
Male 50.3 50.1 50.1 50.2 50.3 49.9 50.2
Female 49.7 49.9 49.9 49.8 49.7 50.1 49.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Sex ratio 101.2 100.6 100.6 100.9 101.3 99.5 100.8
Table S13: Total working age population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 38.4 38.7 77.1 15.7 16.0 31.8 54.1 54.7 108.8
Q2 38.0 38.6 76.6 15.8 16.3 32.1 53.9 54.8 108.7
Q3 38.4 39.0 77.5 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.3 55.2 109.5
Q4 38.3 38.9 77.2 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.1 55.1 109.2
Year 2016-17 38.3 38.8 77.1 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.1 55.0 109.1
Table S14: Total labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 30.3 14.9 45.2 12.7 4.9 17.6 43.0 19.8 62.8
Q2 30.8 14.8 45.6 12.8 5.3 18.2 43.6 20.1 63.7
Q3 31.0 15.2 46.2 12.8 5.0 17.8 43.9 20.2 64.1
Q4 30.8 15.0 45.8 12.8 4.8 17.6 43.6 19.8 63.4
Year 2016-17 30.7 15.0 45.7 12.8 5.0 17.8 43.5 20.0 63.5
166 | P a g e
Annex-1
Table S15: Total labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Labour Force Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Rural Urban Year 2016-17
Male 43.0 43.6 43.9 43.6 30.7 12.8 43.5
Female 19.8 20.1 20.2 19.8 15.0 5.0 20.0
Total 62.8 63.7 64.1 63.4 45.7 17.8 63.5
Column %
Male 68.5 68.4 68.5 68.7 67.3 71.8 68.5
Female 31.5 31.6 31.5 31.3 32.7 28.2 31.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S16: Total Employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 29.6 14.2 43.7 12.3 4.4 16.7 41.9 18.5 60.4
Q2 29.8 13.9 43.7 12.4 5.0 17.4 42.2 18.9 61.0
Q3 30.1 14.2 44.2 12.4 4.5 17.0 42.5 18.7 61.2
Q4 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.4 16.8 42.2 18.5 60.7
Year 2016-17 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.6 16.9 42.2 18.6 60.8
167 | P a g e
Annex-1
Employment
Table S17: Employment by age group and quarter
(in million)
Dept_youth Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Male Female Total
15-17 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.4 0.4 1.9
18-35 27.5 28.1 26.2 26.8 17.8 9.3 27.2
36-59 26.2 26.3 28.1 27.2 18.8 8.2 27.0
60+ 4.8 4.8 5.0 4.6 4.1 0.7 4.8
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 42.2 18.6 60.8
%
15-17 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.3 3.4 2.3 3.1
18-35 45.6 46.0 42.9 44.2 42.3 50.0 44.6
36-59 43.4 43.1 45.9 44.9 44.5 43.9 44.3
60+ 8.0 7.9 8.2 7.7 9.8 3.7 7.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S18: Employment by sex and quarter

(in million)
Employment by category Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Rural Urban Total
Male 41.9 42.2 42.5 42.2 29.8 12.4 42.2
Female 18.5 18.9 18.7 18.5 14.1 4.6 18.6
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 43.9 16.9 60.8
%
Male 69.3 69.1 69.5 69.5 67.9 73.0 69.3
Female 30.7 30.9 30.5 30.5 32.1 27.0 30.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S19: Employment by occupation and quarter

(in million)
Total Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Male Female Year
2016-17
Managers 1.1 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.1 1.0
Professionals 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.7 1.9 1.0 2.9
Technicians and Associate Professionals 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.2 1.1
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fishe 19.7 20.1 19.6 19.4 10.0 9.6 19.7
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assembl 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.1 3.7 0.4 4.2
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 42.2 18.6 60.8
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Table S20: Employed persons by status in employment and quarter
(in million)
Status in employment Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Male Female Year 2016-17
Employer 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.6 0.1 2.7
Own account worker 26.1 27.6 26.2 27.1 19.6 7.2 26.8
Contributing family helper 7.6 6.8 7.4 6.9 1.8 5.4 7.2
Employee 23.9 23.5 24.4 23.3 18.0 5.8 23.8
Others 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.4
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 42.2 18.6 60.8
%
Employer 4.1 4.4 4.5 4.8 6.1 0.6 4.4
Own account worker 43.2 45.2 42.9 44.7 46.4 38.6 44.0
Contributing family helper 12.6 11.1 12.1 11.4 4.2 29.1 11.8
Employee 39.6 38.5 39.9 38.4 42.6 31.2 39.1
Others 0.5 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S21: Distribution of persons aged 15 years or older by labour force status and quarter
(in million)
Quarter Employed Unemployed Not in labour Total
force
Q1 60.4 2.4 46.0 108.8
Q2 61.0 2.7 45.0 108.7
Q3 61.2 2.9 45.4 109.5
Q4 60.7 2.7 45.8 109.2
Year 2016-17 60.8 2.7 45.5 109.1
Table S22: Distribution of employed persons aged 15 years or older by quarter and locality
(in million)
Quarter Rural Urban City corporation Total
Q1 43.7 9.2 7.5 60.4
Q2 43.7 9.5 7.8 61.0
Q3 44.2 9.3 7.7 61.2
Q4 43.9 9.3 7.5 60.7
Year 2016-17 43.9 9.3 7.6 60.8
Table S23: Distribution of persons aged 15 years or older by Labour force by quarter and locality
(in million)
Quarter Number %
Q1 45.2 9.9 7.8 62.8 71.9 15.7 12.4 100.0
Q2 45.6 10.1 8.1 63.7 71.5 15.8 12.7 100.0
Q3 46.2 9.9 7.9 64.1 72.2 15.4 12.4 100.0
Q4 45.8 9.8 7.8 63.4 72.2 15.5 12.2 100.0
Year 2016-17 45.7 9.9 7.9 63.5 72.0 15.6 12.4 100.0
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Table S24: Distribution of Not in Labour force by quarter and locality
(in million)
Quarter Number %
Q1 31.9 8.5 5.6 46.0 69.3 18.4 12.3 100.0
Q2 31.0 8.5 5.5 45.0 69.0 18.8 12.2 100.0
Q3 31.3 8.5 5.7 45.4 68.8 18.7 12.5 100.0
Q4 31.4 8.6 5.8 45.8 68.6 18.8 12.6 100.0
Year 2016-17 31.4 8.5 5.6 45.5 68.9 18.7 12.4 100.0
Table S25: Distribution of Employed population by quarter and locality

(in million)
Quarter Number %
Q1 43.7 9.2 7.5 60.4 72.4 15.2 12.4 100.0
Q2 43.7 9.5 7.8 61.0 71.5 15.6 12.8 100.0
Q3 44.2 9.3 7.7 61.2 72.3 15.2 12.5 100.0
Q4 43.9 9.3 7.5 60.7 72.3 15.3 12.4 100.0
Year 2016-17 43.9 9.3 7.6 60.8 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
Table S26: Distribution of Unemployed population by quarter and locality

(in million)
Quarter Number %
Q1 1.4 0.7 0.3 2.4 59.2 27.6 13.2 100.0
Q2 1.9 0.5 0.3 2.7 71.0 19.3 9.8 100.0
Q3 2.0 0.6 0.3 2.9 69.6 20.7 9.7 100.0
Q4 1.9 0.6 0.2 2.7 70.0 21.5 8.5 100.0
Year 2016-17 1.8 0.6 0.3 2.7 67.7 22.1 10.2 100.0
Table S27: Distribution of Labour force by quarter and sex

(in million)
Q1 41.9 18.5 60.4 69.3 30.7 100.0
Q2 42.2 18.9 61.0 69.1 30.9 100.0
Q3 42.5 18.7 61.2 69.5 30.5 100.0
Q4 42.2 18.5 60.7 69.5 30.5 100.0
Year 2016-17 42.2 18.6 60.8 69.3 30.7 100.0
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Table S28: Distribution of Not in Labour force by quarter and sex
(in million)
Quarter Number %
Q1 11.1 34.9 46.0 24.1 75.9 100.0
Q2 10.3 34.7 45.0 22.8 77.2 100.0
Q3 10.4 35.1 45.4 22.8 77.2 100.0
Q4 10.5 35.3 45.8 22.9 77.1 100.0
Year 2016-17 10.6 35.0 45.5 23.2 76.8 100.0
Table S29: Distribution of Employed population by quarter and sex

(in million)
Q1 41.9 18.5 60.4 69.3 30.7 100.0
Q2 42.2 18.9 61.0 69.1 30.9 100.0
Q3 42.5 18.7 61.2 69.5 30.5 100.0
Q4 42.2 18.5 60.7 69.5 30.5 100.0
Total 42.2 18.6 60.8 69.3 30.7 100.0
Table S30: Distribution of Unemployed population by quarter and sex

(in million)
Q1 1.2 1.3 2.4 48.5 51.5 100.0
Q2 1.4 1.3 2.7 53.2 46.8 100.0
Q3 1.4 1.5 2.9 47.9 52.1 100.0
Q4 1.4 1.3 2.7 51.6 48.4 100.0
Total 1.3 1.3 2.7 50.3 49.7 100.0
Table S31: Distribution of Employed population by quarter and sector

(in million)
Quarter Agriculture Industry Service Total Agriculture Industry Service Total
Number (in million) %
Q1 24.6 12.1 23.7 60.4 40.7 20.1 39.2 100.0
Q2 25.0 12.4 23.6 61.0 40.9 20.4 38.8 100.0
Q3 24.7 12.8 23.7 61.2 40.3 21.0 38.7 100.0
Q4 24.5 12.3 23.8 60.7 40.4 20.3 39.3 100.0
Total 24.7 12.4 23.7 60.8 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
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Table S32: Employed population by quarter and industry
(in million)
Major Industry Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 24.6 25.0 24.7 24.5 24.7
Mining and quarrying 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Manufacturing 8.6 8.9 9.0 8.6 8.8
Electricity, gas, steam and air condition 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Water supply, sewerage, waste management 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Construction 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.5 3.4
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicle 8.6 8.6 8.5 8.8 8.7
Transportation and storage 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.4 5.2
Accommodation and food service activities 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2
Information and communication 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2
Financial and insurance activities 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4
Real estate activities 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Professional, scientific and technical a 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3
Administrative and support service activities 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4
Public administration and defense, compu 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Education 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2
Human health and social work activities 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Arts, entertainment and recreation 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Other service activities 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4
Activities of households as employers, u 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.3 1.2
Activities of extraterritorial organization 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 60.8
Table S33: Distribution of employed persons by quarter and status in employment
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year
Age Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
group
15-29 31.7 27.4 30.3 31.6 34.2 32.5 30.2 33.8 31.3 32.7 37.4 34.3 31.6 33.1 32.1
30-64 59.7 39.7 53.6 59.6 47.3 55.8 58.9 38.9 52.6 60.5 41.0 54.7 59.7 41.7 54.2
65+ 76.7 57.3 74.5 75.4 59.7 73.8 76.0 50.7 72.5 78.0 53.4 75.1 76.5 55.0 73.9
Total 52.4 35.8 47.3 52.4 43.3 49.6 51.7 37.7 47.4 53.7 40.0 49.5 52.5 39.2 48.4
15-29 10.8 28.6 16.8 11.1 25.1 15.8 11.4 23.2 15.0 11.3 24.0 15.7 11.1 25.3 15.8
30-64 1.4 33.4 11.2 1.3 27.6 9.5 1.4 32.8 11.3 1.2 30.5 9.9 1.3 31.1 10.5
65+ 2.3 21.1 4.4 1.8 19.5 3.7 1.8 26.4 5.1 1.8 28.3 5.0 1.9 23.9 4.5
Total 4.2 31.6 12.6 4.1 26.7 11.1 4.2 29.9 12.1 4.0 28.3 11.4 4.2 29.1 11.8
15-29 42.5 56.0 47.1 42.7 59.3 48.2 41.6 57.0 46.3 44.0 61.4 50.0 42.7 58.5 47.9
30-64 61.2 73.1 64.8 60.9 74.9 65.2 60.2 71.7 63.9 61.8 71.6 64.7 61.0 72.8 64.6
65+ 79.0 78.4 78.9 77.3 79.2 77.5 77.8 77.1 77.7 79.9 81.8 80.1 78.4 78.9 78.5
Total 56.7 67.4 60.0 56.5 70.0 60.7 55.9 67.6 59.5 57.7 68.3 60.9 56.7 68.3 60.3
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Table S34: Distribution of employed persons by quarter, sector and informality
Sector Agriculture Industry Service Total

Q1 Formal 3.0 9.5 28.1 14.1
Informal 97.0 90.5 71.9 85.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Q2 Formal 5.2 11.6 29.0 15.7
Informal 94.8 88.4 71.0 84.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Q3 Formal 4.3 9.2 28.3 14.6
Informal 95.7 90.8 71.7 85.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Q4 Formal 6.1 10.2 27.6 15.4
Informal 93.9 89.8 72.4 84.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Year Formal 4.6 10.1 28.2 14.9
Informal 95.4 89.9 71.8 85.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S35: Not in labour force aged 15 or older, by quarter, division, sex and area
Division Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Male Female Total

Barisal 5.9 6.1 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.2 6.2
Chittagong 18.3 19.0 19.7 18.6 20.4 18.4 18.9
Dhaka 35.6 35.2 34.1 33.8 33.4 35.1 34.7
Khulna 10.7 11.2 11.3 12.0 11.0 11.4 11.3
Rajshahi 11.4 10.7 10.7 11.3 12.7 10.5 11.0
Rangpur 10.8 10.4 10.7 10.8 10.2 10.9 10.7
Sylhet 7.3 7.3 7.2 7.1 6.2 7.5 7.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S36: Employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter and economic sector
(in million)
Quarter Agriculture Industry Service Total Agriculture Industry Service Total
Number (in million) %
Q1 24.6 12.1 23.7 60.4 40.7 20.1 39.2 100.0
Q2 25.0 12.4 23.6 61.0 40.9 20.4 38.8 100.0
Q3 24.7 12.8 23.7 61.2 40.3 21.0 38.7 100.0
Q4 24.5 12.3 23.8 60.7 40.4 20.3 39.3 100.0
Total 24.7 12.4 23.7 60.8 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
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Table S37: Total Employed population aged 15 or older, by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Q1 29.6 14.2 43.7 12.3 4.4 16.7 41.9 18.5 60.4
Q2 29.8 13.9 43.7 12.4 5.0 17.4 42.2 18.9 61.0
Q3 30.1 14.2 44.2 12.4 4.5 17.0 42.5 18.7 61.2
Q4 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.4 16.8 42.2 18.5 60.7
Year 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.6 16.9 42.2 18.6 60.8
Table S38: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sex and quarter

(in million)
Sex Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Year_Rural Year_Urban Year_Total
Male 41.9 42.2 42.5 42.2 29.8 12.4 42.2
Female 18.5 18.9 18.7 18.5 14.1 4.6 18.6
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 43.9 16.9 60.8
%
Male 69.3 69.1 69.5 69.5 67.9 73.0 69.3
Female 30.7 30.9 30.5 30.5 32.1 27.0 30.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S39: Employed aged 15 or over, by age group, sex and area
(in million)
Q1
15-29 8.7 4.4 13.1 3.6 1.8 5.4 12.3 6.2 18.5
30-64 19.1 9.5 28.6 8.3 2.5 10.8 27.3 12.0 39.4
65+ 1.8 0.2 2.0 0.4 0.0 0.5 2.2 0.3 2.5
Total 29.6 14.2 43.7 12.3 4.4 16.7 41.9 18.5 60.4
Q2
15-29 8.5 4.0 12.5 3.6 2.0 5.6 12.1 6.1 18.2
30-64 19.4 9.6 29.1 8.3 2.9 11.2 27.8 12.5 40.3
65+ 1.8 0.2 2.1 0.4 0.0 0.5 2.3 0.3 2.5
Total 29.8 13.9 43.7 12.4 5.0 17.4 42.2 18.9 61.0
Q3
15-29 8.4 3.5 11.9 3.6 1.8 5.4 12.0 5.3 17.3
30-64 19.9 10.4 30.2 8.4 2.7 11.1 28.2 13.0 41.3
65+ 1.8 0.3 2.1 0.4 0.1 0.5 2.2 0.4 2.6
Total 30.1 14.2 44.2 12.4 4.5 17.0 42.5 18.7 61.2
Q4
15-29 8.2 4.3 12.5 3.4 1.8 5.2 11.6 6.1 17.8
30-64 20.1 9.6 29.6 8.6 2.5 11.1 28.7 12.1 40.8
65+ 1.5 0.2 1.7 0.4 0.0 0.4 1.9 0.3 2.2
Total 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.4 16.8 42.2 18.5 60.7
Yearly estimates 2016-17
15-29 8.5 4.1 12.5 3.6 1.9 5.4 12.0 5.9 18.0
30-64 19.6 9.8 29.4 8.4 2.7 11.0 28.0 12.4 40.4
65+ 1.7 0.2 2.0 0.4 0.0 0.5 2.2 0.3 2.5
Total 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.6 16.9 42.2 18.6 60.8
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Table S39: Employed aged 15 or over, by broad age group, sex and area
(in million)
Age group Quarterly estimate Yearly estimate
15-17 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.4 0.4 1.9

18-35 27.5 28.1 26.2 26.8 17.8 9.3 27.2
36-59 26.2 26.3 28.1 27.2 18.8 8.2 27.0
60+ 4.8 4.8 5.0 4.6 4.1 0.7 4.8
Total 60.4 61.0 61.2 60.7 42.2 18.6 60.8
Table S40: Percent distribution of employed aged 15 or over, by broad age group, sex and area
Age group Quarterly estimate Yearly estimate

Column %
15-17 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.3 3.4 2.3 3.1

18-35 45.6 46.0 42.9 44.2 42.3 50.0 44.6
36-59 43.4 43.1 45.9 44.9 44.5 43.9 44.3
60+ 8.0 7.9 8.2 7.7 9.8 3.7 7.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S41: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by area, sex and quarter, 2016-17
(in million)
Quarter Sector of Rural Urban Bangladesh
Formal 4.3 0.5 4.7 3.3 0.5 3.8 7.6 0.9 8.5
Q1 Informal 25.3 13.7 39.0 8.9 3.9 12.8 34.3 17.6 51.9
Total 29.6 14.2 43.7 12.3 4.4 16.7 41.9 18.5 60.4
Formal 4.4 1.2 5.6 3.3 0.7 4.0 7.7 1.9 9.6
Q2 Informal 25.3 12.7 38.1 9.1 4.3 13.4 34.5 17.0 51.4
Total 29.8 13.9 43.7 12.4 5.0 17.4 42.2 18.9 61.0
Formal 4.2 0.8 5.1 3.3 0.6 3.8 7.5 1.4 8.9
Q3 Informal 25.9 13.3 39.2 9.2 4.0 13.1 35.0 17.3 52.3
Total 30.1 14.2 44.2 12.4 4.5 17.0 42.5 18.7 61.2
Formal 4.3 1.3 5.6 3.2 0.6 3.8 7.5 1.9 9.3
Q4 Informal 25.5 12.8 38.3 9.2 3.8 13.0 34.7 16.7 51.4
Total 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.4 16.8 42.2 18.5 60.7
Formal 4.3 0.9 5.2 3.3 0.6 3.8 7.6 1.5 9.1
Year Informal 25.5 13.1 38.6 9.1 4.0 13.1 34.6 17.1 51.7
Total 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.6 16.9 42.2 18.6 60.8
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Table S42: Distribution of Informal employment by quarter, sex and area
(in million)
Quarter Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Total employment
Q1 29.6 14.2 43.7 12.3 4.4 16.7 41.9 18.5 60.4
Q2 29.8 13.9 43.7 12.4 5.0 17.4 42.2 18.9 61.0
Q3 30.1 14.2 44.2 12.4 4.5 17.0 42.5 18.7 61.2
Q4 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.4 16.8 42.2 18.5 60.7
Year 2016-17 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.6 16.9 42.2 18.6 60.8
Informal employment
Q1 25.3 13.7 39.0 8.9 3.9 12.8 34.3 17.6 51.9
Q2 25.3 12.7 38.1 9.1 4.3 13.4 34.5 17.0 51.4
Q3 25.9 13.3 39.2 9.2 4.0 13.1 35.0 17.3 52.3
Q4 25.5 12.8 38.3 9.2 3.8 13.0 34.7 16.7 51.4
Year 2016-17 25.5 13.1 38.6 9.1 4.0 13.1 34.6 17.1 51.7
Q1 85.6 96.7 89.2 72.8 89.0 77.1 81.9 94.9 85.9
Q2 85.2 91.5 87.2 73.4 86.1 77.0 81.7 90.1 84.3
Q3 85.9 94.0 88.5 73.8 87.2 77.4 82.4 92.4 85.4
Q4 85.6 90.9 87.3 74.3 87.1 77.7 82.3 90.0 84.6
Year 2016-17 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
Table S43: Labour under-utilization of the country, by quarter, sex and area
(in '000)
Q1 0.7 1.3 2.0 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.8 1.8 2.7
Q2 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.3 0.6 0.9 0.9 1.5 2.4
Q3 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.2 0.7 0.9 0.8 1.6 2.4
Q4 0.6 0.8 1.4 0.2 0.7 0.9 0.8 1.5 2.3
Year 0.6 1.0 1.6 0.2 0.6 0.8 0.8 1.6 2.4
Time related underemployed
Q1 0.7 0.5 1.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.8 0.6 1.4
Q2 0.8 0.4 1.2 0.2 0.1 0.3 1.0 0.6 1.6
Q3 0.7 0.4 1.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 1.0 0.5 1.5
Q4 0.7 0.4 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.9 0.5 1.4
Year 0.7 0.4 1.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.9 0.5 1.5
Q1 0.7 0.7 1.4 0.4 0.5 1.0 1.2 1.3 2.4

Q2 1.0 0.9 1.9 0.4 0.4 0.8 1.4 1.3 2.7
Q3 1.0 1.0 2.0 0.4 0.5 0.9 1.4 1.5 2.9
Q4 1.0 0.9 1.9 0.4 0.4 0.8 1.4 1.3 2.7
Year 0.9 0.9 1.8 0.4 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.3 2.7
Labour under-utilization
Q1 2.1 2.5 4.6 0.8 1.1 1.9 2.9 3.6 6.5
Q2 2.4 2.2 4.6 0.9 1.1 2.0 3.4 3.3 6.7
Q3 2.3 2.4 4.6 0.9 1.2 2.1 3.1 3.6 6.7
Q4 2.3 2.0 4.3 0.8 1.2 2.1 3.1 3.3 6.4
Year 2.3 2.3 4.5 0.9 1.2 2.0 3.1 3.5 6.6
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Table S44: Proportion of Labour under-utilization of the country, by quarter, sex and area
(in '000)
Potential labour force as % of working age population
Q1 1.7 3.5 2.6 1.1 3.1 2.1 1.5 3.3 2.4
Q2 1.5 2.3 1.9 2.0 3.6 2.8 1.7 2.7 2.2
Q3 1.5 2.4 1.9 1.4 4.1 2.8 1.5 2.9 2.2
Q4 1.6 2.0 1.8 1.4 4.2 2.8 1.6 2.6 2.1
Year 1.6 2.5 2.1 1.5 3.8 2.6 1.6 2.9 2.2
Time related underemployed as % of working age population
Q1 1.7 1.2 1.5 1.1 0.6 0.9 1.6 1.0 1.3
Q2 2.2 1.1 1.6 1.3 0.9 1.1 1.9 1.0 1.5
Q3 1.9 1.1 1.5 1.5 0.7 1.1 1.8 0.9 1.4
Q4 1.7 1.0 1.4 1.4 0.8 1.1 1.6 0.9 1.3
Year 1.9 1.1 1.5 1.3 0.7 1.0 1.7 1.0 1.3
Unemployed as % of working age population
Q1 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.8 3.4 3.1 2.2 2.3 2.2
Q2 2.7 2.3 2.5 2.7 2.2 2.5 2.7 2.3 2.5
Q3 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.7 2.6
Q4 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.5
Year 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.4 2.5
Labour under-utilization as % of working age population
Q1 5.4 6.5 5.9 5.0 7.1 6.1 5.3 6.6 6.0
Q2 6.4 5.7 6.1 5.9 6.7 6.3 6.2 6.0 6.1
Q3 5.9 6.1 6.0 5.5 7.6 6.6 5.8 6.5 6.2
Q4 6.0 5.3 5.6 5.2 7.6 6.4 5.7 5.9 5.8
Year 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.4 7.3 6.4 5.8 6.3 6.0
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Table S45: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation, sex and area
(in 000)
15-17 1.0 0.2 1.3 0.4 0.2 0.6 1.4 0.4 1.9
18-35 12.3 6.7 19.0 5.6 2.6 8.2 17.8 9.3 27.2
36-59 13.3 6.6 19.8 5.5 1.6 7.1 18.8 8.2 27.0
60+ 3.3 0.6 3.8 0.9 0.1 1.0 4.1 0.7 4.8
Total 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.6 16.9 42.2 18.6 60.8
Column %
15-17 3.5 1.6 2.9 3.2 4.5 3.5 3.4 2.3 3.1
18-35 41.1 47.6 43.2 45.1 57.5 48.4 42.3 50.0 44.6
36-59 44.4 46.7 45.2 44.7 35.4 42.2 44.5 43.9 44.3
60+ 11.0 4.0 8.8 7.1 2.6 5.9 9.8 3.7 7.9
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S46: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and sector of employment
(in million)
Division Agriculture Industry Service Total
Employed persons (in '000)
Barisal 1.2 0.5 1.2 3.0
Chittagong 4.0 2.0 4.2 10.2
Dhaka 5.9 5.6 9.1 20.5
Khulna 3.2 1.1 2.7 7.0
Rajshahi 5.0 1.6 2.8 9.5
Rangpur 4.0 1.1 2.4 7.5
Sylhet 1.3 0.4 1.4 3.1
Total 24.7 12.4 23.7 60.8
Barisal 2.0 0.9 2.0 4.9
Chittagong 6.6 3.4 6.8 16.8
Dhaka 9.6 9.1 14.9 33.7
Khulna 5.3 1.8 4.4 11.6
Rajshahi 8.3 2.7 4.6 15.6
Rangpur 6.6 1.9 3.9 12.3
Sylhet 2.2 0.7 2.3 5.2
Total 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
Row %
Barisal 40.5 18.0 41.5 100.0
Chittagong 39.3 20.0 40.6 100.0
Dhaka 28.6 27.1 44.3 100.0
Khulna 46.2 15.4 38.4 100.0
Rajshahi 53.1 17.4 29.5 100.0
Rangpur 53.2 15.2 31.7 100.0
Sylhet 42.8 13.2 44.0 100.0
Total 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
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Table S47: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sector and locality
(in 000)
Agriculture 22699 1776 218 24693
Industry 7442 2180 2802 12424
Service 13744 5360 4607 23711
Total 43885 9316 7626 60828
Column %
Agriculture 51.7 19.1 2.9 40.6
Industry 17.0 23.4 36.7 20.4
Service 31.3 57.5 60.4 39.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Row %
Agriculture 91.9 7.2 0.9 100.0
Industry 59.9 17.6 22.6 100.0
Service 58.0 22.6 19.4 100.0
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
Table S48: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and locality
Employed persons (in '000)

Barisal 2426 402 130 2958
Chittagong 7229 1557 1446 10232
Dhaka 11896 3337 5268 20501
Khulna 5710 1024 300 7034
Rajshahi 7726 1520 216 9462
Rangpur 6264 1101 129 7494
Sylhet 2632 375 138 3146
Total 43885 9316 7626 60828
Barisal 4.0 0.7 0.2 4.9
Chittagong 11.9 2.6 2.4 16.8
Dhaka 19.6 5.5 8.7 33.7
Khulna 9.4 1.7 0.5 11.6
Rajshahi 12.7 2.5 0.4 15.6
Rangpur 10.3 1.8 0.2 12.3
Sylhet 4.3 0.6 0.2 5.2
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
Row %
Barisal 82.0 13.6 4.4 100.0
Chittagong 70.7 15.2 14.1 100.0
Dhaka 58.0 16.3 25.7 100.0
Khulna 81.2 14.6 4.3 100.0
Rajshahi 81.7 16.1 2.3 100.0
Rangpur 83.6 14.7 1.7 100.0
Sylhet 83.7 11.9 4.4 100.0
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
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Table S49: Employed population aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Government 632 250 882 666 237 903 1298 487 1785
Autonomous 127 59 186 130 39 168 257 97 355
Local government 79 38 117 26 7 33 105 45 149
NGO 121 93 215 78 42 120 200 135 335
Individual Proprietorship 22706 4988 27693 7937 1420 9357 30643 6408 37051
Household 3238 7616 10854 603 1215 1818 3841 8831 12672
Private 2805 1021 3826 2834 1597 4431 5639 2618 8257
Other 102 11 113 98 14 112 199 25 225
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
%
Govt, Auto & Local govt 2.8 2.5 2.7 6.6 6.2 6.5 3.9 3.4 3.8
NGO 0.4 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.5 0.7 0.6
Individual Proprietorship 76.2 35.4 63.1 64.2 31.1 55.2 72.6 34.4 60.9
Household 10.9 54.1 24.7 4.9 26.6 10.7 9.1 47.4 20.8
Private 9.4 7.3 8.7 22.9 34.9 26.2 13.4 14.0 13.6
Other 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.8 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.1 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S50: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sector, sex and area
(in 000)
Agriculture 12478 10220 22699 1086 908 1994 13565 11128 24693
Industry 5828 1614 7442 3451 1532 4982 9279 3145 12424
Service 11503 2242 13744 7836 2131 9967 19338 4372 23711
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
%
Agriculture 20.5 16.8 37.3 1.8 1.5 3.3 22.3 18.3 40.6
Industry 9.6 2.7 12.2 5.7 2.5 8.2 15.3 5.2 20.4
Service 18.9 3.7 22.6 12.9 3.5 16.4 31.8 7.2 39.0
Total 49.0 23.1 72.1 20.3 7.5 27.9 69.3 30.7 100.0
Column %
Agriculture 41.9 72.6 51.7 8.8 19.9 11.8 32.2 59.7 40.6
Industry 19.6 11.5 17.0 27.9 33.5 29.4 22.0 16.9 20.4
Service 38.6 15.9 31.3 63.3 46.6 58.8 45.8 23.5 39.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S51: Employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, and economic sectors
(in 000)
Age group Sectors Sectors
Agriculture Industry Service Total Agriculture Industry Service Total
Number (in 000) %
15-29 5391 5563 6999 17952 8.9 9.1 11.5 29.5
30-64 17811 6637 15975 40423 29.3 10.9 26.3 66.5
65+ 1491 224 737 2452 2.5 0.4 1.2 4.0
Total 24693 12424 23711 60828 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
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Table S52: Employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, and economic sectors
(in 000)
Ownership Agriculture Industry Service Total Agriculture Industry Service Total
Number (in 000) % of total employed
Government 55 106 1624 1785 0.1 0.2 2.7 2.9
Autonomous 30 102 222 355 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
Local government 8 49 92 149 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.2
NGO 12 23 299 335 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.6
Individual proprietorship 14903 6038 16110 37051 24.5 9.9 26.5 60.9
Household 9376 711 2585 12672 15.4 1.2 4.2 20.8
Private 282 5348 2626 8257 0.5 8.8 4.3 13.6
Other 26 46 152 225 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.4
Total 24693 12424 23711 60828 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
Table S53: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation, sex and area
(in 000)
Managers 316 33 349 573 74 647 889 107 996
Professionals 1067 512 1580 831 522 1353 1898 1035 2933
489 87 575 472 84 556 961 170 1131
Professionals
9192 8870 18062 847 774 1621 10039 9644 19683
Fisheries
4459 1745 6204 2655 1509 4164 7114 3254 10368
Workers
2433 236 2669 1317 176 1492 3750 411 4161
and Assembler
Other occupations 92 4 96 51 5 56 143 8 152
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
%
Managers 0.5 0.1 0.6 0.9 0.1 1.1 1.5 0.2 1.6
Professionals 1.8 0.8 2.6 1.4 0.9 2.2 3.1 1.7 4.8
0.8 0.1 0.9 0.8 0.1 0.9 1.6 0.3 1.9
Professionals
15.1 14.6 29.7 1.4 1.3 2.7 16.5 15.9 32.4
Fisheries
7.3 2.9 10.2 4.4 2.5 6.8 11.7 5.3 17.0
Workers
4.0 0.4 4.4 2.2 0.3 2.5 6.2 0.7 6.8
and Assembler
Other occupations 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.2
Total 49.0 23.1 72.1 20.3 7.5 27.9 69.3 30.7 100.0
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Table S54: Employed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
qualification Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
None 10178 5481 15659 2406 1311 3717 12584 6792 19376
Primary 8225 3383 11607 2969 1123 4092 11194 4505 15699
Secondary 8533 4499 13031 4272 1407 5679 12805 5905 18710
Tertiary 1073 234 1307 1508 394 1902 2581 627 3209
Others 156 13 169 27 1 28 182 14 197
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
% of total employed
None 16.7 9.0 25.7 4.0 2.2 6.1 20.7 11.2 31.9
Primary 13.5 5.6 19.1 4.9 1.8 6.7 18.4 7.4 25.8
Secondary 14.0 7.4 21.4 7.0 2.3 9.3 21.1 9.7 30.8
Tertiary 1.8 0.4 2.1 2.5 0.6 3.1 4.2 1.0 5.3
Others 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3
Total 49.0 23.1 72.1 20.3 7.5 27.9 69.3 30.7 100.0
Table S55: Employed population aged 15 or older, by literacy status, sex and area
(in 000)
Literate 19972 8836 28809 10020 3298 13318 29992 12135 42127
Not-literate 9837 5239 15076 2353 1272 3625 12190 6511 18701
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
%
Literate 67.0 62.8 65.6 81.0 72.2 78.6 71.1 65.1 69.3
Not-literate 33.0 37.2 34.4 19.0 27.8 21.4 28.9 34.9 30.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Literate 75.6 37.0 57.3 77.6 27.4 53.4 76.3 33.8 56.0
Not-literate 82.7 35.1 56.3 82.0 30.6 51.6 82.6 34.2 55.3
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
Table S56: Employed population aged 15 or older, by locality, sex and literacy status
(in 000)
Locality Literate Not-literate Bangladesh
Rural 19972 8836 28809 9837 5239 15076 29809 14076 43885
Urban 5564 1657 7221 1441 655 2095 7004 2312 9316
City corporation 4456 1641 6097 912 617 1530 5368 2258 7626
Total 29992 12135 42127 12190 6511 18701 42182 18646 60828
Rural 75.6 37.0 57.3 82.7 35.1 56.3 77.8 36.3 56.9
Urban 75.7 24.4 51.1 81.0 26.0 48.7 76.8 24.9 50.6
City corporation 80.0 31.3 56.4 83.6 37.8 56.1 80.6 32.8 56.3
Total 76.3 33.8 56.0 82.6 34.2 55.3 78.0 33.9 55.8
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Table S57: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation and education level
(in 000)
Occupation Level of education completed
Secondary
Managers 0 0 209 211 574 1 996
Professionals 0 0 559 915 1367 92 2933
Technicians and Associate Professionals 0 67 499 270 294 1 1131
Clerical Support Workers 0 42 407 233 214 0 896
Service and Sales Workers 2041 2504 4092 899 459 27 10023
8455 5038 5538 473 145 33 19683
Fisheries
Craft and Related Trades Workers 2278 3575 4021 379 94 20 10368
1174 1408 1465 82 19 12 4161
Assemblers
Elementary Occupations 5426 3064 1856 104 25 10 10485
Other Occupations 0 1 64 70 17 0 152
Total 19376 15699 18710 3637 3209 197 60828
%
Managers 0.0 0.0 1.1 5.8 17.9 0.7 1.6
Professionals 0.0 0.0 3.0 25.2 42.6 46.5 4.8
Technicians and Associate Professionals 0.0 0.4 2.7 7.4 9.2 0.7 1.9
43.6 32.1 29.6 13.0 4.5 16.7 32.4
Fisheries
6.1 9.0 7.8 2.3 0.6 6.2 6.8
Assemblers
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S58: Employed population aged 15 or older, by industry and education level
(in 000)
Level of education completed Broad industry sector
None 11056 2966 5353 19376
Primary 6386 3961 5352 15699
Secondary 6500 4322 7888 18710
Higher Secondary 549 652 2436 3637
Tertiary 165 495 2548 3209
Others 35 28 134 197
Total 24693 12424 23711 60828
%
None 44.8 23.9 22.6 31.9
Primary 25.9 31.9 22.6 25.8
Secondary 26.3 34.8 33.3 30.8
Secondary 2.2 5.2 10.3 6.0
Tertiary 0.7 4.0 10.7 5.3
Others 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S59: Employed population aged 15 or older, by status in employment, sex and area
(in 000)
Employer 1794 86 1881 790 34 824 2585 120 2705
Contributing family helper 1379 4820 6199 329 468 798 1708 5289 6997
Employee 11711 2914 14625 6248 2903 9151 17959 5817 23775
Others 213 64 278 97 22 119 310 87 397
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
%
Employer 2.9 0.1 3.1 1.3 0.1 1.4 4.2 0.2 4.4
Own account worker 24.2 10.2 34.4 8.1 1.9 9.9 32.3 12.1 44.3
Contributing family helper 2.3 7.9 10.2 0.5 0.8 1.3 2.8 8.7 11.5
Employee 19.3 4.8 24.0 10.3 4.8 15.0 29.5 9.6 39.1
Others 0.4 0.1 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.5 0.1 0.7
Total 49.0 23.1 72.1 20.3 7.5 27.9 69.3 30.7 100.0
Table S60: Employed population aged 15 or older, by occupation and status in employment
(in 000)
Occupation Status in employment
Employer Own Contributing Employee Others Total
account family helper
Managers 78 46 7 856 8 996
Professionals 19 390 33 2456 35 2933
1328 12223 5500 605 27 19683
Fisheries
56 2125 54 1864 62 4161
Assemblers
Other Occupations 0 1 0 151 0 152
Total 2705 26954 6997 23775 397 60828
%
Managers 0.1 0.1 0.0 1.4 0.0 1.6
Professionals 0.0 0.6 0.1 4.0 0.1 4.8
2.2 20.1 9.0 1.0 0.0 32.4
Fisheries
0.1 3.5 0.1 3.1 0.1 6.8
Assemblers
Total 4.4 44.3 11.5 39.1 0.7 100.0
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Table S61: Employed population aged 15 or older, by industry and status in employment
(in 000)
ISIC Rev-4/BSIC 2009 at 1 digit-Section Status in employment
Employer Own Contributing Employee Others Total
account family helper
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 1339 12805 5868 4650 31 24693
Mining and quarrying 6 24 3 64 0 97
Manufacturing 298 1349 296 6678 152 8772
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioners 2 12 0 87 1 102
Water supply, sewerage, waste management 0 5 1 14 0 20
Construction 126 497 17 2750 42 3432
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor 597 5785 512 1751 11 8656
Transportation and storage 52 3772 33 1321 59 5237
Accommodation and food service activities 71 619 122 342 3 1158
Information and communication 7 29 2 128 2 168
Financial and insurance activities 4 16 3 391 3 418
Real estate activities 6 55 0 51 0 113
Professional, scientific and technical a 11 128 3 118 8 269
Administrative and support service activities 42 123 10 175 3 353
Public administration and defense 4 22 2 929 11 967
Education 17 187 11 1956 16 2188
Human health and social work activities 11 121 12 354 5 503
Arts, entertainment and recreation 1 28 10 22 3 63
Other service activities 108 1331 89 839 41 2408
Activities of households as employers, u 3 46 3 1150 4 1207
Activities of extraterritorial organization 0 0 0 4 0 4
Total 2705 26954 6997 23775 397 60828
%
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 5.4 51.9 23.8 18.8 0.1 100.0
Mining and quarrying 6.1 24.7 3.3 65.5 0.3 100.0
Manufacturing 3.4 15.4 3.4 76.1 1.7 100.0
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioners 1.9 11.7 0.0 85.3 1.1 100.0
Water supply, sewerage, waste management 0.9 26.5 2.5 70.0 0.0 100.0
Construction 3.7 14.5 0.5 80.1 1.2 100.0
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor 6.9 66.8 5.9 20.2 0.1 100.0
Transportation and storage 1.0 72.0 0.6 25.2 1.1 100.0
Accommodation and food service activities 6.2 53.5 10.6 29.5 0.3 100.0
Information and communication 4.3 17.0 1.1 76.5 1.1 100.0
Financial and insurance activities 1.0 3.9 0.7 93.6 0.8 100.0
Real estate activities 5.4 49.2 0.0 45.2 0.3 100.0
Professional, scientific and technical a 3.9 47.6 1.2 44.1 3.2 100.0
Administrative and support service activities 12.0 34.7 2.9 49.6 0.9 100.0
Public administration and defense 0.4 2.3 0.2 96.0 1.2 100.0
Education 0.8 8.6 0.5 89.4 0.7 100.0
Human health and social work activities 2.2 24.0 2.3 70.4 1.1 100.0
Arts, entertainment and recreation 1.0 43.6 15.8 35.5 4.1 100.0
Other service activities 4.5 55.3 3.7 34.8 1.7 100.0
Activities of households as employers, u 0.3 3.8 0.3 95.3 0.3 100.0
Activities of extraterritorial organization 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 100.0
Total 4.4 44.3 11.5 39.1 0.7 100.0
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Table S62: Employed population aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-19 2103 599 2701 766 436 1202 2869 1035 3904
20-24 2699 1376 4075 1076 633 1708 3775 2009 5783
25-29 3655 2090 5744 1719 802 2521 5373 2892 8265
30-34 3658 2201 5859 1823 761 2584 5481 2962 8443
35-39 3934 2363 6298 1779 654 2433 5713 3017 8730
40-44 3060 1632 4692 1401 411 1812 4461 2043 6504
45-49 3040 1532 4572 1240 389 1629 4280 1921 6201
50-54 2331 1002 3333 958 225 1183 3289 1227 4516
55-59 2056 711 2768 737 141 878 2793 853 3646
60-64 1529 329 1858 456 68 524 1985 397 2382
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828

(in 000)
Division Rural Urban City corporation Total
Barisal 2426 402 130 2958
Chittagong 7229 1557 1446 10232
Dhaka 11896 3337 5268 20501
Khulna 5710 1024 300 7034
Rajshahi 7726 1520 216 9462
Rangpur 6264 1101 129 7494
Sylhet 2632 375 138 3146
Total 43885 9316 7626 60828
% of total employed
Barisal 4.0 0.7 0.2 4.9
Chittagong 11.9 2.6 2.4 16.8
Dhaka 19.6 5.5 8.7 33.7
Khulna 9.4 1.7 0.5 11.6
Rajshahi 12.7 2.5 0.4 15.6
Rangpur 10.3 1.8 0.2 12.3
Sylhet 4.3 0.6 0.2 5.2
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
Row %
Barisal 82.0 13.6 4.4 100.0
Chittagong 70.7 15.2 14.1 100.0
Dhaka 58.0 16.3 25.7 100.0
Khulna 81.2 14.6 4.3 100.0
Rajshahi 81.7 16.1 2.3 100.0
Rangpur 83.6 14.7 1.7 100.0
Sylhet 83.7 11.9 4.4 100.0
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
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Table S64: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and sector of employment
(in 000)
Division Sector of employment
Barisal 1198 532 1229 2958
Chittagong 4026 2047 4158 10232
Dhaka 5862 5562 9077 20501
Khulna 3248 1086 2700 7034
Rajshahi 5028 1645 2789 9462
Rangpur 3985 1136 2373 7494
Sylhet 1345 416 1385 3146
Total 24693 12424 23711 60828
Barisal 2.0 0.9 2.0 4.9
Chittagong 6.6 3.4 6.8 16.8
Dhaka 9.6 9.1 14.9 33.7
Khulna 5.3 1.8 4.4 11.6
Rajshahi 8.3 2.7 4.6 15.6
Rangpur 6.6 1.9 3.9 12.3
Sylhet 2.2 0.7 2.3 5.2
Total 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
Row %
Barisal 40.5 18.0 41.5 100.0
Chittagong 39.3 20.0 40.6 100.0
Dhaka 28.6 27.1 44.3 100.0
Khulna 46.2 15.4 38.4 100.0
Rajshahi 53.1 17.4 29.5 100.0
Rangpur 53.2 15.2 31.7 100.0
Sylhet 42.8 13.2 44.0 100.0
Total 40.6 20.4 39.0 100.0
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Table S65: Employed population aged 15 or older, by division and status in employment
(in ‘000)
Employer Own account Contributing Employee Others Total
worker family helper
Barisal 118 1403 366 1049 21 2958
Chittagong 257 4751 1446 3703 75 10232
Dhaka 948 7893 2140 9422 99 20501
Khulna 390 3285 865 2440 55 7034
Rajshahi 227 5543 759 2841 92 9462
Rangpur 521 2817 992 3119 45 7494
Sylhet 244 1262 429 1201 10 3146
Total 2705 26954 6997 23775 397 60828
% of total employed
Barisal 0.2 2.3 0.6 1.7 0.0 4.9
Chittagong 0.4 7.8 2.4 6.1 0.1 16.8
Dhaka 1.6 13.0 3.5 15.5 0.2 33.7
Khulna 0.6 5.4 1.4 4.0 0.1 11.6
Rajshahi 0.4 9.1 1.2 4.7 0.2 15.6
Rangpur 0.9 4.6 1.6 5.1 0.1 12.3
Sylhet 0.4 2.1 0.7 2.0 0.0 5.2
Total 4.4 44.3 11.5 39.1 0.7 100.0
Row %
Barisal 4.4 5.2 5.2 4.4 5.4 4.9
Chittagong 9.5 17.6 20.7 15.6 18.9 16.8
Dhaka 35.0 29.3 30.6 39.6 25.0 33.7
Khulna 14.4 12.2 12.4 10.3 13.8 11.6
Rajshahi 8.4 20.6 10.8 11.9 23.2 15.6
Rangpur 19.3 10.5 14.2 13.1 11.3 12.3
Sylhet 9.0 4.7 6.1 5.1 2.5 5.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S66: Employed population aged 15 or older, by sector and locality

(in 000)
Sector Rural Urban City corporation Total
Agriculture 22699 1776 218 24693
Industry 7442 2180 2802 12424
Service 13744 5360 4607 23711
Total 43885 9316 7626 60828
Column %
Agriculture 51.7 19.1 2.9 40.6
Industry 17.0 23.4 36.7 20.4
Service 31.3 57.5 60.4 39.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Row %
Agriculture 91.9 7.2 0.9 100.0
Industry 59.9 17.6 22.6 100.0
Service 58.0 22.6 19.4 100.0
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
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(in 000)
Barisal 2426 402 130 2958
Chittagong 7229 1557 1446 10232
Dhaka 11896 3337 5268 20501
Khulna 5710 1024 300 7034
Rajshahi 7726 1520 216 9462
Rangpur 6264 1101 129 7494
Sylhet 2632 375 138 3146
Total 43885 9316 7626 60828
% of total employed
Barisal 4.0 0.7 0.2 4.9
Chittagong 11.9 2.6 2.4 16.8
Dhaka 19.6 5.5 8.7 33.7
Khulna 9.4 1.7 0.5 11.6
Rajshahi 12.7 2.5 0.4 15.6
Rangpur 10.3 1.8 0.2 12.3
Sylhet 4.3 0.6 0.2 5.2
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
Row %
Barisal 82.0 13.6 4.4 100.0
Chittagong 70.7 15.2 14.1 100.0
Dhaka 58.0 16.3 25.7 100.0
Khulna 81.2 14.6 4.3 100.0
Rajshahi 81.7 16.1 2.3 100.0
Rangpur 83.6 14.7 1.7 100.0
Sylhet 83.7 11.9 4.4 100.0
Total 72.1 15.3 12.5 100.0
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Table S68: Working age population, labour force, employed, unemployed, not in labour force aged 15 or older, by
broad age group, sex and area (in 000)
15-29 13856 14661 28517 5777 6959 12736 19633 21620 41254
30-64 20863 21531 42394 8993 8498 17491 29856 30029 59885
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Labour force
15-29 9198 4740 13938 3898 2247 6145 13096 6987 20083
30-64 19796 9976 29773 8474 2723 11196 28270 12699 40969
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Employed
15-29 8457 4064 12521 3560 1871 5432 12017 5936 17952
30-64 19609 9770 29379 8394 2650 11044 28002 12421 40423
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Unemployed
15-29 742 676 1417 338 376 713 1079 1051 2131
30-64 188 206 394 80 73 152 267 279 546
65+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Not in labour force
15-29 4658 9921 14579 1879 4712 6591 6537 14633 21170
30-64 1067 11555 12622 519 5775 6294 1586 17330 18916
65+ 0 2363 4194 597 672 1269 2428 3035 5463
Total 7556 23839 31395 2995 11160 14155 10551 34998 45549
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Table S69: Working age population, labour force, employed, unemployed, not in labour force aged 15 or
older, by broad age group, sex and area (in million)
15-29 13.9 14.7 28.5 5.8 7.0 12.7 19.6 21.6 41.3
30-64 20.9 21.5 42.4 9.0 8.5 17.5 29.9 30.0 59.9
65+ 3.6 2.6 6.2 1.0 0.7 1.7 4.6 3.3 7.9
Total 38.3 38.8 77.1 15.8 16.2 32.0 54.1 55.0 109.1
15-29 9.2 4.7 13.9 3.9 2.2 6.1 13.1 7.0 20.1
30-64 19.8 10.0 29.8 8.5 2.7 11.2 28.3 12.7 41.0
65+ 1.7 0.2 2.0 0.4 0.0 0.5 2.2 0.3 2.5
Total 30.7 15.0 45.7 12.8 5.0 17.8 43.5 20.0 63.5
Employed as % of working age population
15-29 8.5 4.1 12.5 3.6 1.9 5.4 12.0 5.9 18.0
30-64 19.6 9.8 29.4 8.4 2.7 11.0 28.0 12.4 40.4
65+ 1.7 0.2 2.0 0.4 0.0 0.5 2.2 0.3 2.5
Total 29.8 14.1 43.9 12.4 4.6 16.9 42.2 18.6 60.8
Unemployed as % of labour force
15-29 8.1 14.3 10.2 8.7 16.7 11.6 8.2 15.0 10.6
30-64 0.9 2.1 1.3 0.9 2.7 1.4 0.9 2.2 1.3
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Not-in-labour-force as % of working age population
15-29 33.6 67.7 51.1 32.5 67.7 51.8 33.3 67.7 51.3
30-64 5.1 53.7 29.8 5.8 68.0 36.0 5.3 57.7 31.6
65+ 51.2 90.7 67.9 58.8 93.3 73.1 52.9 91.3 69.0
Total 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
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older, by broad age group, sex and area (in 000)
Working age population (in 000)
15-24 9748 9435 19183 3810 4448 8258 13558 13883 27442
25-34 7913 9750 17663 3857 4554 8411 11770 14304 26074
35-44 7249 7674 14923 3280 3130 6411 10530 10804 21334
45-54 5650 5671 11322 2321 2141 4462 7971 7813 15784
55-64 4159 3661 7820 1501 1184 2685 5659 4846 10505
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
15-24 54.7 25.0 40.1 54.1 29.1 40.6 54.5 26.3 40.3
25-34 95.9 48.0 69.5 95.7 38.5 64.7 95.8 45.0 67.9
35-44 97.3 53.1 74.6 97.8 34.9 67.1 97.4 47.8 72.3
45-54 95.8 45.1 70.4 95.5 28.9 63.5 95.7 40.6 68.5
55-64 86.8 28.5 59.5 79.9 17.7 52.5 85.0 25.9 57.7
65+ 48.8 9.3 32.1 41.2 6.7 26.9 47.1 8.7 31.0
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
15-24 49.3 20.9 35.3 48.3 24.0 35.2 49.0 21.9 35.3
25-34 92.4 44.0 65.7 91.8 34.3 60.7 92.2 40.9 64.1
35-44 96.5 52.1 73.6 96.9 34.0 66.2 96.6 46.8 71.4
45-54 95.1 44.7 69.8 94.7 28.7 63.0 95.0 40.3 67.9
55-64 86.2 28.4 59.1 79.5 17.7 52.2 84.4 25.8 57.4
65+ 48.8 9.3 32.1 41.2 6.7 26.9 47.1 8.7 31.0
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
15-24 9.9 16.4 11.9 10.6 17.4 13.2 10.1 16.8 12.3
25-34 3.7 8.3 5.4 4.0 10.9 6.2 3.8 9.0 5.7
35-44 0.8 2.0 1.2 0.9 2.4 1.3 0.8 2.1 1.2
45-54 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8
55-64 0.7 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.6
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
15-24 45.3 75.0 59.9 45.9 70.9 59.4 45.5 73.7 59.7
25-34 4.1 52.0 30.5 4.3 61.5 35.3 4.2 55.0 32.1
35-44 2.7 46.9 25.4 2.2 65.1 32.9 2.6 52.2 27.7
45-54 4.2 54.9 29.6 4.5 71.1 36.5 4.3 59.4 31.5
55-64 13.2 71.5 40.5 20.1 82.3 47.5 15.0 74.1 42.3
65+ 51.2 90.7 67.9 58.8 93.3 73.1 52.9 91.3 69.0
Total 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
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Barisal 2339 2450 4789 564 581 1146 2904 3031 5935
Chittagong 6190 7093 13283 2832 3083 5916 9023 10177 19199
Dhaka 10823 10696 21519 7687 7806 15493 18510 18502 37012
Khulna 4947 4931 9878 1298 1313 2610 6245 6243 12488
Rajshahi 5937 5793 11731 1595 1617 3213 7533 7411 14944
Rangpur 5456 5081 10537 1232 1152 2385 6689 6233 12922
Sylhet 2601 2752 5353 575 625 1200 3177 3377 6554
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Barisal 78.2 29.4 53.3 77.5 24.2 50.4 78.1 28.4 52.7
Chittagong 75.2 39.9 56.3 78.1 29.4 52.7 76.1 36.7 55.2
Dhaka 79.8 34.0 57.1 82.6 33.2 57.7 81.0 33.7 57.3
Khulna 81.8 38.5 60.2 79.9 26.9 53.2 81.4 36.0 58.7
Rajshahi 82.6 54.5 68.7 80.7 35.3 57.8 82.2 50.3 66.4
Rangpur 84.1 40.7 63.2 82.7 31.9 58.1 83.9 39.1 62.3
Sylhet 79.7 23.6 50.9 77.9 14.4 44.8 79.4 21.9 49.8
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
Barisal 75.2 27.3 50.7 73.2 20.4 46.4 74.8 26.0 49.8
Chittagong 73.0 38.3 54.4 75.9 27.7 50.7 73.9 35.0 53.3
Dhaka 77.4 32.9 55.3 80.3 31.2 55.5 78.6 32.2 55.4
Khulna 79.5 36.0 57.8 77.7 24.0 50.7 79.1 33.5 56.3
Rajshahi 80.1 51.3 65.9 77.1 31.3 54.0 79.5 46.9 63.3
Rangpur 81.5 35.7 59.4 78.5 22.8 51.6 81.0 33.3 58.0
Sylhet 77.5 22.4 49.2 75.3 12.8 42.8 77.1 20.6 48.0
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
Barisal 3.9 7.3 4.9 5.5 15.7 7.9 4.2 8.7 5.4
Chittagong 2.9 4.0 3.3 2.9 5.8 3.7 2.9 4.4 3.5
Dhaka 3.0 3.3 3.1 2.8 6.0 3.7 2.9 4.5 3.4
Khulna 2.8 6.4 3.9 2.8 10.6 4.7 2.8 7.1 4.1
Rajshahi 3.0 5.9 4.1 4.4 11.4 6.6 3.3 6.7 4.6
Rangpur 3.1 12.2 5.9 5.0 28.6 11.3 3.5 14.7 6.9
Sylhet 2.7 5.3 3.3 3.4 10.9 4.6 2.9 6.0 3.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Barisal 21.8 70.6 46.7 22.5 75.8 49.6 21.9 71.6 47.3
Chittagong 24.8 60.1 43.7 21.9 70.6 47.3 23.9 63.3 44.8
Dhaka 20.2 66.0 42.9 17.4 66.8 42.3 19.0 66.3 42.7
Khulna 18.2 61.5 39.8 20.1 73.1 46.8 18.6 64.0 41.3
Rajshahi 17.4 45.5 31.3 19.3 64.7 42.2 17.8 49.7 33.6
Rangpur 15.9 59.3 36.8 17.3 68.1 41.9 16.1 60.9 37.7
Sylhet 20.3 76.4 49.1 22.1 85.6 55.2 20.6 78.1 50.2
Total 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
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None 12195 14331 26526 2908 3928 6836 15103 18259 33362
Primary 9169 8675 17845 3279 3244 6523 12448 11919 24368
Secondary 12388 13578 25966 5794 6444 12238 18182 20022 38205
Secondary 2918 1685 4604 1936 1599 3535 4855 3284 8139
Tertiary 1335 456 1791 1816 947 2762 3150 1403 4554
Others 289 70 359 52 16 68 341 86 427
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
None 84.3 39.2 60.0 83.5 34.1 55.1 84.2 38.1 59.0
Primary 91.3 41.0 66.8 92.1 36.3 64.4 91.5 39.7 66.2
Secondary 71.3 35.6 52.6 75.8 24.1 48.6 72.7 31.9 51.3
Secondary 64.3 37.0 54.3 67.7 28.9 50.2 65.7 33.1 52.5
Tertiary 90.5 69.3 85.1 88.6 50.9 75.7 89.4 56.9 79.4
Others 56.6 18.6 49.2 54.7 9.1 43.8 56.3 16.8 48.3
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
None 83.5 38.2 59.0 82.7 33.4 54.4 83.3 37.2 58.1
Primary 89.7 39.0 65.0 90.5 34.6 62.7 89.9 37.8 64.4
Secondary 68.9 33.1 50.2 73.7 21.8 46.4 70.4 29.5 49.0
Secondary 56.4 27.7 45.9 61.5 20.9 43.1 58.4 24.4 44.7
Tertiary 80.4 51.2 73.0 83.1 41.6 68.8 81.9 44.7 70.5
Others 53.9 18.6 47.0 51.6 8.8 41.4 53.5 16.8 46.1
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
None 1.0 2.5 1.6 0.9 2.2 1.4 1.0 2.5 1.5
Primary 1.8 4.8 2.7 1.7 4.8 2.6 1.8 4.8 2.7
Secondary 3.4 6.8 4.6 2.8 9.4 4.5 3.2 7.4 4.6
Secondary 12.3 25.2 15.5 9.2 27.7 14.1 11.1 26.2 14.9
Tertiary 11.1 26.1 14.2 6.2 18.3 9.0 8.3 21.4 11.2
Others 4.8 0.0 4.4 5.6 2.5 5.5 4.9 0.3 4.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
None 15.7 60.8 40.0 16.5 65.9 44.9 15.8 61.9 41.0
Primary 8.7 59.0 33.2 7.9 63.7 35.6 8.5 60.3 33.8
Secondary 28.7 64.4 47.4 24.2 75.9 51.4 27.3 68.1 48.7
Secondary 35.7 63.0 45.7 32.3 71.1 49.8 34.3 66.9 47.5
Tertiary 9.5 30.7 14.9 11.4 49.1 24.3 10.6 43.1 20.6
Others 43.4 81.4 50.8 45.3 90.9 56.2 43.7 83.2 51.7
Total 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
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older, by literacy, sex and area (in 000)
Literate 26405 23890 50295 12914 12023 24937 39318 35913 75231
Not-literate 11890 14906 26796 2871 4155 7026 14761 19061 33822
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Literate 78.8 40.0 60.4 80.6 30.9 56.7 79.4 37.0 59.1
Not-literate 83.6 36.2 57.2 82.8 31.4 52.4 83.5 35.1 56.2
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
Literate 75.6 37.0 57.3 77.6 27.4 53.4 76.3 33.8 56.0
Not-literate 82.7 35.1 56.3 82.0 30.6 51.6 82.6 34.2 55.3
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
Literate 4.0 7.6 5.1 3.8 11.2 5.7 3.9 8.6 5.3
Not-literate 1.1 2.8 1.7 1.0 2.5 1.5 1.0 2.8 1.7
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Literate 21.2 60.0 39.6 19.4 69.1 43.3 20.6 63.0 40.9
Not-literate 16.4 63.8 42.8 17.2 68.6 47.6 16.5 64.9 43.8
Total 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
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Education by Rural Urban Bangladesh
UNESCO Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Some or completed
9169 8675 17845 3279 3244 6523 12448 11919 24368
primary
Secondary or post-
secondary non- 15307 15263 30570 7730 8043 15773 23037 23306 46343
tertiary
Tertiary 1335 456 1791 1816 947 2762 3150 1403 4554
Not specified 289 70 359 52 16 68 341 86 427
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Some or completed
91.3 41.0 66.8 92.1 36.3 64.4 91.5 39.7 66.2
primary
Secondary or post-
secondary non- 70.0 35.7 52.9 73.8 25.1 48.9 71.3 32.0 51.5
tertiary
Tertiary 90.5 69.3 85.1 88.6 50.9 75.7 89.4 56.9 79.4
Not specified 56.6 18.6 49.2 54.7 9.1 43.8 56.3 16.8 48.3
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
Some or completed
89.7 39.0 65.0 90.5 34.6 62.7 89.9 37.8 64.4
primary
Secondary or post-
secondary non- 66.5 32.5 49.5 70.7 21.7 45.7 67.9 28.8 48.2
tertiary
Tertiary 80.4 51.2 73.0 83.1 41.6 68.8 81.9 44.7 70.5
Not specified 53.9 18.6 47.0 51.6 8.8 41.4 53.5 16.8 46.1
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
Some or completed
1.8 4.8 2.7 1.7 4.8 2.6 1.8 4.8 2.7
primary
Secondary or post-
secondary non- 5.0 8.9 6.3 4.3 13.6 6.7 4.7 10.2 6.4
tertiary
Tertiary 11.1 26.1 14.2 6.2 18.3 9.0 8.3 21.4 11.2
Not specified 4.8 0.0 4.4 5.6 2.5 5.5 4.9 0.3 4.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Some or completed
8.7 59.0 33.2 7.9 63.7 35.6 8.5 60.3 33.8
primary
Secondary or post-
secondary non- 30.0 64.3 47.1 26.2 74.9 51.1 28.7 68.0 48.5
tertiary
Tertiary 9.5 30.7 14.9 11.4 49.1 24.3 10.6 43.1 20.6
Not specified 43.4 81.4 50.8 45.3 90.9 56.2 43.7 83.2 51.7
Total 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
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15-29 13856 14661 28517 5777 6959 12736 19633 21620 41254
30-64 20863 21531 42394 8993 8498 17491 29856 30029 59885
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
15-29 66.4 32.3 48.9 67.5 32.3 48.2 66.7 32.3 48.7
30-64 94.9 46.3 70.2 94.2 32.0 64.0 94.7 42.3 68.4
65+ 48.8 9.3 32.1 41.2 6.7 26.9 47.1 8.7 31.0
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
15-29 61.0 27.7 43.9 61.6 26.9 42.6 61.2 27.5 43.5
30-64 94.0 45.4 69.3 93.3 31.2 63.1 93.8 41.4 67.5
65+ 48.8 9.3 32.1 41.2 6.7 26.9 47.1 8.7 31.0
Total 77.8 36.3 56.9 78.4 28.2 53.0 78.0 33.9 55.8
15-29 8.1 14.3 10.2 8.7 16.7 11.6 8.2 15.0 10.6
30-64 0.9 2.1 1.3 0.9 2.7 1.4 0.9 2.2 1.3
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
15-29 33.6 67.7 51.1 32.5 67.7 51.8 33.3 67.7 51.3
30-64 5.1 53.7 29.8 5.8 68.0 36.0 5.3 57.7 31.6
65+ 51.2 90.7 67.9 58.8 93.3 73.1 52.9 91.3 69.0
Total 19.7 61.4 40.7 19.0 69.0 44.3 19.5 63.7 41.8
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Table S78: Employed population aged 15 or older, by formal/informal sector, economic sector and area
(in 000)
employment Formal Informal Total Formal Informal Total Formal Informal Total
Agriculture 1015 21684 22699 129 1864 1994 1145 23548 24693
Industry 702 6740 7442 553 4429 4982 1256 11168 12424
Service 3526 10218 13744 3167 6800 9967 6693 17018 23711
Total 5244 38641 43885 3850 13093 16943 9094 51734 60828
% of respective area (rural, urban and total)
Agriculture 2.3 49.4 51.7 0.8 11.0 11.8 1.9 38.7 40.6
Industry 1.6 15.4 17.0 3.3 26.1 29.4 2.1 18.4 20.4
Service 8.0 23.3 31.3 18.7 40.1 58.8 11.0 28.0 39.0
Total 11.9 88.1 100.0 22.7 77.3 100.0 14.9 85.1 100.0
Row % of respective area (rural, urban and total)
Agriculture 4.5 95.5 100.0 6.5 93.5 100.0 4.6 95.4 100.0
Industry 9.4 90.6 100.0 11.1 88.9 100.0 10.1 89.9 100.0
Service 25.7 74.3 100.0 31.8 68.2 100.0 28.2 71.8 100.0
Total 11.9 88.1 100.0 22.7 77.3 100.0 14.9 85.1 100.0
Column %
Agriculture 19.4 56.1 51.7 3.4 14.2 11.8 12.6 45.5 40.6
Industry 13.4 17.4 17.0 14.4 33.8 29.4 13.8 21.6 20.4
Service 67.2 26.4 31.3 82.3 51.9 58.8 73.6 32.9 39.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S79: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by broad economic sector, sex, and area
(in 000)
Economic Rural Urban Bangladesh
Sector Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Informal employment
Agriculture 11850 9834 21684 1006 858 1864 12856 10692 23548
Industry 5250 1489 6740 2959 1470 4429 8209 2959 11168
Service 8410 1808 10218 5138 1662 6800 13548 3470 17018
Total 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total employment
Agriculture 12478 10220 22699 1086 908 1994 13565 11128 24693
Industry 5828 1614 7442 3451 1532 4982 9279 3145 12424
Service 11503 2242 13744 7836 2131 9967 19338 4372 23711
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Agriculture 95.0 96.2 95.5 92.6 94.6 93.5 94.8 96.1 95.4
Industry 90.1 92.3 90.6 85.8 96.0 88.9 88.5 94.1 89.9
Service 73.1 80.6 74.3 65.6 78.0 68.2 70.1 79.4 71.8
Total 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
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Table S80: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Informal employment
15-29 7510 3726 11236 3054 1709 4762 10564 5435 15999
30-64 16462 9186 25647 5729 2237 7966 22190 11423 33613
65+ 1539 218 1758 320 45 365 1859 264 2123
Total 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total employment
15-29 8457 4064 12521 3560 1871 5432 12017 5936 17952
30-64 19609 9770 29379 8394 2650 11044 28002 12421 40423
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
15-29 88.8 91.7 89.7 85.8 91.3 87.7 87.9 91.6 89.1
30-64 84.0 94.0 87.3 68.2 84.4 72.1 79.2 92.0 83.2
65+ 88.3 90.6 88.5 76.4 93.3 78.2 86.0 91.0 86.6
Total 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
Table S81: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by age group area and sex
(in 000)
Informal employment
15-24 4380 1814 6194 1657 1005 2662 6037 2819 8856
25-34 6209 3952 10162 2752 1333 4085 8961 5286 14247
35-44 5861 3752 9614 2198 906 3104 8059 4659 12718
45-54 4457 2415 6872 1401 522 1923 5858 2937 8795
55-64 3064 978 4042 775 179 954 3838 1157 4996
65+ 1539 218 1758 320 45 365 1859 264 2123
Total 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total employment
15-24 4802 1974 6776 1842 1069 2911 6644 3043 9687
25-34 7313 4291 11603 3542 1563 5106 10855 5854 16709
35-44 6994 3996 10990 3180 1065 4245 10174 5061 15235
45-54 5371 2534 7905 2198 614 2812 7569 3148 10717
55-64 3585 1040 4625 1193 210 1403 4778 1250 6028
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
15-24 91.2 91.9 91.4 90.0 94.0 91.5 90.9 92.6 91.4
25-34 84.9 92.1 87.6 77.7 85.3 80.0 82.6 90.3 85.3
35-44 83.8 93.9 87.5 69.1 85.1 73.1 79.2 92.1 83.5
45-54 83.0 95.3 86.9 63.8 84.9 68.4 77.4 93.3 82.1
55-64 85.5 94.1 87.4 65.0 85.4 68.0 80.3 92.6 82.9
65+ 88.3 90.6 88.5 76.4 93.3 78.2 86.0 91.0 86.6
Total 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
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Table S82: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by age group area and sex
(in 000)
Informal employment
15-17 987 207 1194 374 199 573 1361 406 1767
18-35 10616 6177 16793 4468 2310 6779 15084 8487 23571
36-59 11030 6221 17250 3608 1371 4979 14637 7592 22229
60+ 2878 526 3404 653 110 762 3531 636 4167
Total 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total employment
15-17 1036 230 1265 392 208 600 1428 437 1865
18-35 12251 6700 18950 5581 2627 8208 17831 9327 27158
36-59 13250 6576 19827 5525 1618 7144 18775 8195 26970
60+ 3273 570 3843 874 117 991 4147 687 4834
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
15-17 95.3 90.1 94.3 95.3 96.0 95.6 95.3 92.9 94.7
18-35 86.7 92.2 88.6 80.1 87.9 82.6 84.6 91.0 86.8
36-59 83.2 94.6 87.0 65.3 84.7 69.7 78.0 92.6 82.4
60+ 87.9 92.3 88.6 74.6 94.0 76.9 85.1 92.6 86.2
Total 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
Table S83: Formal employment aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Education Formal employment Total employment % of total employment
None 815 271 1086 12584 6792 19376 6.5 4.0 5.6
Primary 1454 246 1699 11194 4505 15699 13.0 5.5 10.8
Secondary 3035 536 3571 12805 5905 18710 23.7 9.1 19.1
Higher secondary 1004 162 1165 2836 801 3637 35.4 20.2 32.0
Tertiary 1240 310 1550 2581 627 3209 48.0 49.4 48.3
Others 22 0 22 182 14 197 12.0 2.9 11.3
Total 7569 1525 9094 42182 18646 60828 17.9 8.2 14.9
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Table S84: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by division, area and sex
(in 000)
Informal employment
Barisal 1454 605 2059 281 88 369 1734 694 2428
Chittagong 3829 2475 6304 1647 735 2382 5475 3210 8685
Dhaka 7307 3297 10604 4555 2170 6725 11862 5467 17329
Khulna 3211 1648 4858 720 266 985 3930 1913 5844
Rajshahi 4102 2830 6932 895 440 1335 4997 3270 8267
Rangpur 4006 1737 5743 709 230 940 4715 1967 6683
Sylhet 1603 538 2141 296 61 357 1898 600 2498
Total 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total employment
Barisal 1758 668 2426 413 118 532 2172 787 2958
Chittagong 4516 2713 7229 2149 853 3002 6665 3566 10232
Dhaka 8380 3517 11896 6170 2435 8605 14549 5952 20501
Khulna 3934 1776 5710 1009 315 1324 4943 2092 7034
Rajshahi 4755 2971 7726 1231 506 1736 5986 3476 9462
Rangpur 4449 1815 6264 968 262 1230 5416 2078 7494
Sylhet 2017 615 2632 433 80 513 2451 695 3146
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Barisal 82.7 90.6 84.8 67.9 74.7 69.4 79.9 88.2 82.1
Chittagong 84.8 91.2 87.2 76.6 86.1 79.3 82.2 90.0 84.9
Dhaka 87.2 93.8 89.1 73.8 89.1 78.2 81.5 91.9 84.5
Khulna 81.6 92.8 85.1 71.4 84.2 74.4 79.5 91.5 83.1
Rajshahi 86.3 95.3 89.7 72.7 87.0 76.9 83.5 94.1 87.4
Rangpur 90.1 95.7 91.7 73.3 87.8 76.4 87.1 94.7 89.2
Sylhet 79.4 87.5 81.3 68.3 76.5 69.6 77.5 86.2 79.4
Total 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
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Table S85: Informal employment aged 15 or older, by Occupations, sector of employment and sex
(in 000)
Occupation Formal Informal
Managers 292 43 335 597 64 661
Professionals 648 345 993 1250 690 1940
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers 298 33 330 3452 379 3831
Other occupation 126 5 131 17 3 21
Total 7569 1525 9094 34613 17121 51734
Formal/Informal employment as % of total employment
Managers 32.8 40.5 33.6 67.2 59.5 66.4
Professionals 34.1 33.3 33.9 65.9 66.7 66.1
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assemblers 7.9 7.9 7.9 92.1 92.1 92.1
Other occupation 88.0 58.3 86.4 12.0 41.7 13.6
Total 17.9 8.2 14.9 82.1 91.8 85.1
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Table S86: formal/informal employed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Informal employment
None 9596 5267 14863 2172 1254 3427 11768 6521 18290
Primary 7246 3203 10449 2494 1056 3551 9740 4260 14000
Secondary 6762 4129 10891 3008 1240 4248 9770 5369 15140
Tertiary 607 129 736 735 188 923 1342 317 1659
Others 142 13 154 19 1 20 161 14 175
Total 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total employment
None 10178 5481 15659 2406 1311 3717 12584 6792 19376
Primary 8225 3383 11607 2969 1123 4092 11194 4505 15699
Secondary 8533 4499 13031 4272 1407 5679 12805 5905 18710
Tertiary 1073 234 1307 1508 394 1902 2581 627 3209
Others 156 13 169 27 1 28 182 14 197
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
% of informal employment
None 94.3 96.1 94.9 90.3 95.7 92.2 93.5 96.0 94.4
Primary 88.1 94.7 90.0 84.0 94.1 86.8 87.0 94.5 89.2
Secondary 79.2 91.8 83.6 70.4 88.1 74.8 76.3 90.9 80.9
Tertiary 56.5 55.2 56.3 48.7 47.9 48.6 52.0 50.6 51.7
Others 91.0 96.8 91.5 70.4 100.0 71.9 88.0 97.1 88.7
Total 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
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Table S87: Informal employment as % of total employment aged 15 or older, by industry, and sex
(in 000)
Industry Formal Informal
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 5.2 3.9 4.6 94.8 96.1 95.4
Mining and quarrying 6.3 0.0 6.0 93.7 100.0 94.0
Manufacturing 12.7 5.8 10.5 87.3 94.2 89.5
Electricity, gas, steam and air condition 46.6 39.7 46.0 53.4 60.3 54.0
Water supply, sewerage, waste management 36.8 29.2 34.2 63.2 70.8 65.8
Construction 8.3 5.3 8.1 91.7 94.7 91.9
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor
38.3 24.6 37.3 61.7 75.4 62.7
vehicles
Transportation and storage 7.1 18.9 7.5 92.9 81.1 92.5
Accommodation and food service activities 25.1 11.8 23.0 74.9 88.2 77.0
Information and communication 26.8 18.7 26.1 73.2 81.3 73.9
Financial and insurance activities 47.1 33.9 44.7 52.9 66.1 55.3
Real estate activities 29.1 26.7 29.0 70.9 73.3 71.0
Professional, scientific and technical a 49.0 36.4 47.9 51.0 63.6 52.1
Administrative and support service activities 35.7 12.5 33.5 64.3 87.5 66.5
Public administration and defense 75.0 66.8 73.8 25.0 33.2 26.2
Education 44.7 34.8 40.7 55.3 65.2 59.3
Human health and social work activities 42.9 30.9 37.8 57.1 69.1 62.2
Arts, entertainment and recreation 9.6 20.6 12.4 90.4 79.4 87.6
Other service activities 22.7 14.5 19.3 77.3 85.5 80.7
Activities of households as employers, u 1.4 2.7 2.4 98.6 97.3 97.6
Activities of extraterritorial organization 1.6 0.0 1.4 98.4 100.0 98.6
Total 17.9 8.2 14.9 82.1 91.8 85.1
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Table S88: Formal/informal employed population aged 15 or older, by ownership, sex and area
(in 000)
Informal employment
Government 171 105 276 111 55 167 282 161 443
Autonomous 73 49 121 45 9 53 117 57 175
NGO 94 84 178 62 36 98 156 120 276
Individual proprietorship 19392 4321 23713 5713 1163 6875 25105 5484 30588
Household 3170 7606 10776 593 1212 1805 3763 8819 12582
Private 2453 919 3372 2469 1499 3968 4923 2418 7340
Other 97 11 108 94 14 108 191 25 216
Total 25511 13130 38641 9102 3991 13093 34613 17121 51734
Total employment
Government 632 250 882 666 237 903 1298 487 1785
Autonomous 127 59 186 130 39 168 257 97 355
NGO 121 93 215 78 42 120 200 135 335
Individual proprietorship 22706 4988 27693 7937 1420 9357 30643 6408 37051
Household 3238 7616 10854 603 1215 1818 3841 8831 12672
Private 2805 1021 3826 2834 1597 4431 5639 2618 8257
Other 102 11 113 98 14 112 199 25 225
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Government 27.0 42.1 31.3 16.7 23.3 18.4 21.7 33.0 24.8
Autonomous 57.0 82.6 65.1 34.3 22.8 31.7 45.6 58.9 49.2
Local government 78.5 90.2 82.3 59.0 53.8 57.9 73.7 84.8 77.0
NGO 77.2 90.6 83.0 79.2 84.5 81.0 78.0 88.7 82.3
Individual proprietorship 85.4 86.6 85.6 72.0 81.8 73.5 81.9 85.6 82.6
Household 97.9 99.9 99.3 98.3 99.8 99.3 98.0 99.9 99.3
Private 87.5 90.0 88.1 87.1 93.9 89.6 87.3 92.4 88.9
Other 95.7 95.2 95.7 96.0 100.0 96.5 95.9 97.9 96.1
Total 85.6 93.3 88.1 73.6 87.3 77.3 82.1 91.8 85.1
Table S89: Formal/Informal employment aged 15 or older, by Occupations, sector of employment and sex
Ownership of employment Formal Informal

Managers 32.8 40.5 33.6 67.2 59.5 66.4
Professionals 34.1 33.3 33.9 65.9 66.7 66.1
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assembler 7.9 7.9 7.9 92.1 92.1 92.1
Total 17.9 8.2 14.9 82.1 91.8 85.1
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Table S90: Unemployed rate aged 15 or older, by sex and quarters
(in million)
Unemployment
Yearly estimate Quarterly estimate 2016-17
rate (%) Quarterly estimate 2016-17
2002- 2005- 2016- 2016-
2010 2013 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
03 06 17 17
Bangladesh 4.3 4.2 4.3 4.3 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.0 4.2 3.9 4.3 4.5 4.3
Male 4.2 3.4 3.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.9 3.1 2.7 3.3 3.1 3.2
Female 4.9 7.0 5.5 7.4 6.8 7.0 6.7 7.0 6.4 6.7 6.4 6.3 7.4 6.6
Rural 4.0 4.2 3.9 3.7 4.1 4.1 3.8 4.4 4.0 4.0 3.2 4.2 4.3 4.1
Urban 5.3 4.3 5.3 5.8 4.4 4.7 5.2 3.9 3.9 4.9 5.6 4.3 4.9 4.6
Table S91: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by quarter, area and sex
Quarter Rural Urban Total

Q1 2.4 4.8 3.2 3.5 11.1 5.6 2.7 6.4 3.9
Q2 3.3 6.1 4.2 3.3 6.8 4.3 3.3 6.3 4.3
Q3 3.1 6.8 4.3 3.2 9.1 4.9 3.1 7.4 4.5
Q4 3.3 5.9 4.1 3.0 8.9 4.6 3.2 6.6 4.3
Year 2016-17 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S92: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by quarter, and sex

(inn 000)
Quarter Unemployed Labour force Unemployment rate
Q1 1183 1257 2440 43049 19794 62843 2.7 6.4 3.9
Q2 1443 1267 2710 43609 20123 63731 3.3 6.3 4.3
Q3 1367 1488 2855 43883 20170 64054 3.1 7.4 4.5
Q4 1394 1307 2701 43573 19817 63390 3.2 6.6 4.3
Year 2016-17 1347 1330 2677 43528 19976 63504 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S93: Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by broad age group, sex and area
(in 000)
Broad age group Rural Urban Bangladesh
15-17 98 63 161 53 16 69 152 79 230
18-24 717 730 1448 317 406 723 1034 1136 2171
25-29 100 88 187 45 26 71 145 114 258
30-64 14 1 15 2 0 2 16 1 17
65+ years 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
%
15-17 10.6 7.1 8.9 12.8 3.6 8.0 11.3 5.9 8.6
18-24 77.2 82.8 79.9 75.9 90.6 83.5 76.8 85.4 81.1
25-29 10.7 9.9 10.3 10.7 5.8 8.2 10.7 8.5 9.6
30-64 1.5 0.1 0.8 0.6 0.0 0.3 1.2 0.1 0.6
65+ years 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S94: Unemployed population aged 15 or older, by education level, sex and area
(in 000)
Education qualification Rural Urban Bangladesh
None 105 143 248 21 30 51 126 173 300
Primary 150 170 320 52 56 108 202 226 428
Secondary 301 329 630 122 145 267 422 474 897
Tertiary 134 82 217 100 88 188 234 171 405
Others 8 0 8 2 0 2 9 0 9
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Table S95: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by education attainment, area and sex
(in 000)
Unemployed
532 486 1018 243 274 516 775 759 1534
non-tertiary
Tertiary 134 82 217 100 88 188 234 171 405
Not specified 8 0 8 2 0 2 9 0 9
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Unemployment rate
5.0 8.9 6.3 4.3 13.6 6.7 4.7 10.2 6.4
non-tertiary
Tertiary 11.1 26.1 14.2 6.2 18.3 9.0 8.3 21.4 11.2
Not specified 4.8 0.0 4.4 5.6 2.5 5.5 4.9 0.3 4.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S96: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by literacy, area and sex
(in 000)
Literacy Rural Urban Total
Unemployed
Literate 824 729 1553 394 416 810 1218 1145 2363
Not-literate 105 153 258 23 32 56 129 185 314
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Unemployment rate
Literate 4.0 7.6 5.1 3.8 11.2 5.7 3.9 8.6 5.3
Not-literate 1.1 2.8 1.7 1.0 2.5 1.5 1.0 2.8 1.7
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
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Table S97: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by division, area and sex
(in 000)
Unemployed
Barisal 72 53 124 24 22 46 96 75 170
Chittagong 136 114 250 64 52 116 200 166 366
Dhaka 261 121 382 178 157 335 439 278 717
Khulna 113 122 235 29 37 66 141 159 300
Rajshahi 149 185 333 57 65 122 205 250 455
Rangpur 142 253 396 51 105 156 194 358 552
Sylhet 57 34 91 15 10 25 72 44 116
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Unemployment rate
Barisal 3.9 7.3 4.9 5.5 15.7 7.9 4.2 8.7 5.4
Chittagong 2.9 4.0 3.3 2.9 5.8 3.7 2.9 4.4 3.5
Dhaka 3.0 3.3 3.1 2.8 6.0 3.7 2.9 4.5 3.4
Khulna 2.8 6.4 3.9 2.8 10.6 4.7 2.8 7.1 4.1
Rajshahi 3.0 5.9 4.1 4.4 11.4 6.6 3.3 6.7 4.6
Rangpur 3.1 12.2 5.9 5.0 28.6 11.3 3.5 14.7 6.9
Sylhet 2.7 5.3 3.3 3.4 10.9 4.6 2.9 6.0 3.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S98: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by broad age group, locality and sex
Broad age group Rural Urban Total

15-17 8.7 21.5 11.3 12.0 7.2 10.4 9.6 15.3 11.0
18-24 5.5 9.8 7.1 5.4 13.4 8.1 5.5 10.9 7.4
25-29 0.7 1.3 0.9 0.8 1.6 1.0 0.8 1.4 0.9
30-64 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.4
65+ years 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
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Table S99: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by age group, area and sex
(in 000)
Broad age Rural Urban Total
Unemployed
15-24 526 389 915 218 226 444 744 614 1358
25-34 280 387 667 147 191 338 427 578 1005
35-44 56 80 136 28 26 54 84 107 190
45-54 44 22 66 18 5 23 62 28 90
55-64 24 3 27 6 0 6 30 3 33
65+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Unemployment rate
15-24 9.9 16.4 11.9 10.6 17.4 13.2 10.1 16.8 12.3
25-34 3.7 8.3 5.4 4.0 10.9 6.2 3.8 9.0 5.7
35-44 0.8 2.0 1.2 0.9 2.4 1.3 0.8 2.1 1.2
45-54 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8
55-64 0.7 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.6
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
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Table S100: Mode of looking for job of unemployed aged 15 or older, by area and sex
(in 000)
Mode of looking for job Rural Urban Total
Number
Government employment centre 48 46 95 27 32 59 75 79 154
Private employer 11 4 15 3 2 5 14 6 19
Private employment centre 18 29 47 6 10 17 24 40 64
Visiting factory / farm 58 24 82 151 196 347 209 220 429
Friends / relatives 409 546 956 38 26 64 447 573 1020
Newspaper advert 226 157 383 101 121 223 327 278 605
Internet 80 44 125 67 59 126 147 103 250
Exploring opportunity to run
53 25 78 19 1 20 71 27 98
own firm
16 3 20 3 0 4 20 3 23
recruited
Others 10 2 12 2 1 3 12 3 15
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Column %
Government employment centre 5.2 5.3 5.2 6.5 7.2 6.9 5.6 5.9 5.8
Internet 8.7 5.0 6.9 16.0 13.1 14.5 10.9 7.7 9.4
5.7 2.9 4.3 4.4 0.3 2.3 5.3 2.0 3.6
own firm
1.8 0.4 1.1 0.8 0.0 0.4 1.5 0.3 0.9
recruited
Others 1.1 0.2 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.3 0.9 0.2 0.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
% of total unemployed
Government employment centre 1.8 1.7 3.5 1.0 1.2 2.2 2.8 2.9 5.8
Internet 3.0 1.6 4.7 2.5 2.2 4.7 5.5 3.8 9.4
2.0 0.9 2.9 0.7 0.0 0.7 2.7 1.0 3.6
own firm
0.6 0.1 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.7 0.1 0.9
recruited
Others 0.4 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.6
Total 34.7 32.9 67.7 15.6 16.7 32.3 50.3 49.7 100.0
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Table S101: Not looking for job aged 15 or older, by reason, area and sex
(in 000)
Reasons for not looking for job Rural Urban Total
Waiting for joining 19 12 31 8 17 25 27 29 56

No jobs available 152 198 350 18 30 47 169 228 397
Off season 219 45 264 20 38 58 239 83 322
Waiting for setting self-business 151 7 158 82 1 83 232 9 241
Illness injury 1902 836 2739 692 234 927 2595 1071 3665
In School / training 3656 2753 6408 1548 1449 2997 5204 4201 9405
Housework/ family work 660 19188 19847 275 9114 9388 934 28301 29236
Inadequate work 222 152 373 82 51 133 303 203 506
No desire work 176 263 439 71 67 138 247 330 577
Others (specify) 401 385 786 199 159 358 600 545 1145
Total 7556 23839 31395 2995 11160 14155 10551 34998 45549
%
Waiting for joining 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.1
No jobs available 2.0 0.8 1.1 0.6 0.3 0.3 1.6 0.7 0.9
Off season 2.9 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.3 0.4 2.3 0.2 0.7
Waiting for setting self-business 2.0 0.0 0.5 2.7 0.0 0.6 2.2 0.0 0.5
Illness injury 25.2 3.5 8.7 23.1 2.1 6.5 24.6 3.1 8.0
In School / training 48.4 11.5 20.4 51.7 13.0 21.2 49.3 12.0 20.6
Housework/ family work 8.7 80.5 63.2 9.2 81.7 66.3 8.9 80.9 64.2
Inadequate work 2.9 0.6 1.2 2.7 0.5 0.9 2.9 0.6 1.1
No desire work 2.3 1.1 1.4 2.4 0.6 1.0 2.3 0.9 1.3
Others (specify) 5.3 1.6 2.5 6.6 1.4 2.5 5.7 1.6 2.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S102: Youth aged 15-29 unemployment rate, by age group, sex and area

15-19 10.4 20.0 12.7 11.5 14.2 12.5 10.7 17.7 12.7
20-24 9.5 14.8 11.3 9.9 19.5 13.7 9.6 16.3 12.1
25-29 5.6 12.1 8.0 6.5 15.8 9.7 5.9 13.1 8.5
Youths 15-29 8.1 14.3 10.2 8.7 16.7 11.6 8.2 15.0 10.6
National 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S103: Youth aged 15-29 unemployment rate, by education level, sex and area

None 2.6 11.4 5.3 1.3 6.4 3.4 2.3 10.0 4.8
Primary 3.6 10.4 5.4 3.7 7.4 4.9 3.7 9.3 5.3
Secondary 7.1 11.2 8.8 5.9 13.2 8.6 6.7 11.7 8.7
Tertiary 32.1 45.6 36.2 27.6 39.8 32.2 30.1 42.5 34.3
Others 7.9 0.0 7.5 8.5 0.0 8.1 8.0 0.0 7.6
Youths 15-29 8.1 14.3 10.2 8.7 16.7 11.6 8.2 15.0 10.6
National 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S104: Unemployed youth aged 15–29, by duration in unemployment, sex and area
Duration of unemployment Rural Urban Bangladesh

< 1 month 161 144 305 41 44 85 202 188 390
1-6 months 345 283 628 182 191 374 528 474 1002
6-12 months 144 148 292 72 71 143 215 219 434
1-2 years 79 67 147 30 42 72 110 109 219
2 years and above 13 33 46 13 28 40 25 61 86
Total 742 676 1417 338 376 713 1079 1051 2131
%
< 1 month 21.7 21.3 21.5 12.0 11.7 11.9 18.7 17.9 18.3
1-6 months 46.5 41.9 44.3 54.0 50.9 52.4 48.9 45.1 47.0
6-12 months 19.4 21.9 20.6 21.3 18.9 20.0 20.0 20.8 20.4
1-2 years 10.7 10.0 10.4 8.9 11.1 10.1 10.1 10.4 10.3
2 years and above 1.7 4.9 3.2 3.7 7.4 5.7 2.4 5.8 4.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S105: Unemployed youth aged 15–29, by duration in unemployment, and education
(in 000)
Education <1 month 1-6 month 6-12 month 1-2 years 2+ years Total
None 92 13 1 1 0 107
Primary 110 155 38 1 9 313
Secondary 113 393 162 68 13 749
Higher Secondary 52 294 141 86 24 596
Tertiary 21 144 89 64 40 358
Others 1 4 3 0 0 8
Total 390 1002 434 219 86 2131
%
None 86.1 11.9 1.3 0.7 0.0 100.0
Primary 35.2 49.6 12.1 0.2 2.9 100.0
Secondary 15.1 52.4 21.7 9.0 1.8 100.0
Higher Secondary 8.8 49.2 23.6 14.4 4.0 100.0
Tertiary 5.8 40.2 25.0 17.8 11.2 100.0
Others 9.0 51.9 34.2 4.9 0.0 100.0
Total 18.3 47.0 20.4 10.3 4.0 100.0
`
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Table S106: NEET by broad age group , sex and quarters of population aged 15 years and over
(in million)
Quarter Male Female Total
15-29 30-64 65+ Total 15-29 30-64 65+ Total 15-29 30-64 65+ Total
Number (in million)
Q1 1.9 2.2 2.2 6.4 10.9 17.3 3.0 31.2 12.8 19.4 5.3 37.5
Q2 1.7 1.9 2.4 5.9 10.9 17.2 3.0 31.2 12.6 19.1 5.4 37.1
Q3 1.4 1.6 2.5 5.5 10.9 17.2 3.1 31.2 12.3 18.8 5.6 36.7
Q4 1.4 1.7 2.6 5.7 10.0 18.5 3.0 31.5 11.4 20.2 5.6 37.2
Total 1.6 1.8 2.4 5.9 10.7 17.6 3.0 31.3 12.3 19.4 5.5 37.1
Q1 9.6 7.4 50.1 11.7 49.4 58.8 91.6 57.0 30.4 33.0 67.7 34.5
Q2 8.5 6.2 51.0 10.9 50.3 57.8 91.7 56.9 30.5 32.1 68.0 34.1
Q3 7.2 5.4 52.6 10.1 50.6 56.8 89.8 56.4 29.8 31.3 68.4 33.5
Q4 7.2 5.5 57.7 10.5 47.3 60.4 92.0 57.2 28.3 33.1 72.0 34.1
Total 8.1 6.1 52.9 10.8 49.4 58.4 91.2 56.9 29.8 32.4 69.0 34.0
Table S107: NEET by division area and sex of population aged 15 years and over
(in million)
Number (in million)
Barisal 0.3 1.6 1.9 0.1 0.4 0.5 0.4 2.0 2.4
Chittagong 0.9 3.7 4.7 0.3 1.9 2.3 1.3 5.7 7.0
Dhaka 1.3 6.3 7.6 0.7 4.5 5.3 2.0 10.9 12.9
Khulna 0.4 2.7 3.1 0.1 0.9 1.0 0.5 3.6 4.1
Rajshahi 0.5 2.4 2.9 0.2 0.9 1.1 0.7 3.3 4.0
Rangpur 0.4 2.8 3.2 0.1 0.7 0.8 0.5 3.6 4.0
Sylhet 0.4 1.9 2.3 0.1 0.5 0.5 0.4 2.4 2.8
Total 4.2 21.4 25.7 1.6 9.8 11.4 5.9 31.3 37.1
Barisal 14.2 64.1 39.7 13.8 67.0 40.8 14.1 64.6 39.9
Chittagong 15.2 52.8 35.2 12.3 62.8 38.6 14.3 55.8 36.3
Dhaka 11.9 59.0 35.3 9.7 58.2 34.1 11.0 58.7 34.8
Khulna 8.5 54.8 31.6 9.5 65.0 37.4 8.7 56.9 32.8
Rajshahi 9.0 41.2 24.9 9.8 55.8 32.9 9.1 44.4 26.6
Rangpur 6.8 55.8 30.4 7.0 62.8 33.9 6.8 57.1 31.1
Sylhet 13.9 69.1 42.3 12.5 74.9 45.0 13.6 70.2 42.8
Total 11.1 55.3 33.3 10.2 60.7 35.8 10.8 56.9 34.0
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Table S108: Youth aged 15-24 not in employment and not currently in education or training, by age
group, sex and area (in 000)
15-19 577 1481 2058 191 526 717 768 2007 2775
20-24 352 2864 3216 133 1231 1364 485 4095 4580
Total 929 4345 5274 325 1756 2081 1254 6101 7355
%
15-19 62.1 34.1 39.0 59.0 29.9 34.5 61.3 32.9 37.7
20-24 37.9 65.9 61.0 41.0 70.1 65.5 38.7 67.1 62.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S109: Youth 15-24 NEET, by completed education level, sex and area
(in 000)
None 196 448 643 53 157 210 249 605 853
Primary 293 1108 1401 103 408 511 397 1516 1912
Secondary 369 2536 2905 140 1021 1160 509 3557 4065
Secondary 52 216 267 18 143 161 70 358 429
Tertiary 6 28 35 7 25 31 13 53 66
Others 13 10 23 4 4 7 17 13 30
Total 929 4345 5274 325 1756 2081 1254 6101 7355
Column %
None 21.1 10.3 12.2 16.4 8.9 10.1 19.8 9.9 11.6
Primary 31.6 25.5 26.6 31.7 23.2 24.5 31.6 24.8 26.0
Secondary 39.7 58.4 55.1 43.1 58.1 55.8 40.6 58.3 55.3
Tertiary 0.7 0.7 0.7 2.0 1.4 1.5 1.0 0.9 0.9
Others 1.4 0.2 0.4 1.1 0.2 0.4 1.3 0.2 0.4
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
None 26.5 74.9 48.2 25.8 61.5 45.6 26.4 70.9 47.5
Primary 13.7 69.4 37.4 13.0 54.8 33.2 13.5 64.8 36.2
Secondary 7.3 41.8 26.1 7.2 39.8 25.7 7.3 41.2 26.0
Tertiary 5.6 35.4 18.2 8.5 27.4 18.7 6.8 31.2 18.4
Others 8.1 23.4 11.2 11.9 46.7 18.9 8.7 27.1 12.4
Total 9.5 46.1 27.5 8.5 39.5 25.2 9.2 43.9 26.8
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Table S110: Youth 18-35 NEET, by completed education level, sex and area
(in 000)
None 201 1644 1845 56 548 604 257 2192 2449
Primary 227 2671 2898 66 1028 1095 293 3699 3992
Secondary 426 4916 5343 174 2510 2685 601 7427 8027
Tertiary 45 119 164 36 254 290 81 373 453
Others 15 15 30 4 7 11 19 22 41
Total 982 9782 10765 377 4789 5166 1359 14571 15930
None 8.1 56.7 34.3 8.4 56.4 36.8 8.2 56.6 34.9
Primary 5.4 60.2 33.7 4.3 59.2 33.2 5.1 59.9 33.5
Secondary 7.5 56.8 37.3 6.3 65.9 40.7 7.1 59.6 38.4
Tertiary 6.4 34.5 15.7 5.0 42.7 22.1 5.7 39.7 19.3
Others 11.8 57.5 19.6 15.1 73.8 30.5 12.4 61.7 21.7
Total 6.4 54.9 32.5 5.4 57.3 33.7 6.1 55.7 32.9
Table S111: Youth aged 15-24 NEET, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-19 577 1481 2058 191 526 717 768 2007 2775
20-24 352 2864 3216 133 1231 1364 485 4095 4580
Total 929 4345 5274 325 1756 2081 1254 6101 7355
Column %
15-19 62.1 34.1 39.0 59.0 29.9 34.5 61.3 32.9 37.7
20-24 37.9 65.9 61.0 41.0 70.1 65.5 38.7 67.1 62.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S112: Youth aged 15-29 NEET, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-19 577 1481 2058 191 526 717 768 2007 2775
20-24 352 2864 3216 133 1231 1364 485 4095 4580
25-29 245 3010 3255 101 1569 1670 346 4579 4925
Total 1174 7355 8529 426 3326 3751 1600 10680 12280
15-19 10.0 31.8 19.7 9.0 24.5 16.8 9.7 29.5 18.9
20-24 8.9 60.0 36.8 8.0 53.4 34.3 8.6 57.8 36.0
25-29 6.0 57.6 34.9 5.1 62.5 37.3 5.7 59.2 35.7
Total 8.5 50.2 29.9 7.4 47.8 29.5 8.1 49.4 29.8
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Table S113: Labour force participation rate (LFPR) aged 15 or older, by broad age group, sex and area
(in '000)
Locality 15-29 30-64 65+ Total
Rural 9198 4740 13938 19796 9976 29773 1744 241 1985 30739 14957 45696
Urban 2158 1047 3205 4829 1551 6380 291 33 324 7278 2630 9909
City corporation 1740 1200 2940 3644 1172 4817 127 15 143 5512 2388 7900
Total 13096 6987 20083 28270 12699 40969 2163 290 2452 43528 19976 63504
Rural 66.4 32.3 48.9 94.9 46.3 70.2 48.8 9.3 32.1 80.3 38.6 59.3
Urban 64.9 27.3 44.8 94.2 31.1 63.0 43.2 6.9 28.1 79.8 28.3 53.8
City corporation 70.9 38.4 52.7 94.3 33.4 65.4 37.2 6.4 24.5 82.8 34.7 58.4
Total 66.7 32.3 48.7 94.7 42.3 68.4 47.1 8.7 31.0 80.5 36.3 58.2
(in 000)
15-29 13856 14661 28517 5777 6959 12736 19633 21620 41254
30-64 20863 21531 42394 8993 8498 17491 29856 30029 59885
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
15-29 66.4 32.3 48.9 67.5 32.3 48.2 66.7 32.3 48.7
30-64 94.9 46.3 70.2 94.2 32.0 64.0 94.7 42.3 68.4
65+ 48.8 9.3 32.1 41.2 6.7 26.9 47.1 8.7 31.0
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
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(in 000)
15-24 9748 9435 19183 3810 4448 8258 13558 13883 27442
25-34 7913 9750 17663 3857 4554 8411 11770 14304 26074
35-44 7249 7674 14923 3280 3130 6411 10530 10804 21334
45-54 5650 5671 11322 2321 2141 4462 7971 7813 15784
55-64 4159 3661 7820 1501 1184 2685 5659 4846 10505
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
15-24 54.7 25.0 40.1 54.1 29.1 40.6 54.5 26.3 40.3
25-34 95.9 48.0 69.5 95.7 38.5 64.7 95.8 45.0 67.9
35-44 97.3 53.1 74.6 97.8 34.9 67.1 97.4 47.8 72.3
45-54 95.8 45.1 70.4 95.5 28.9 63.5 95.7 40.6 68.5
55-64 86.8 28.5 59.5 79.9 17.7 52.5 85.0 25.9 57.7
65+ 48.8 9.3 32.1 41.2 6.7 26.9 47.1 8.7 31.0
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
(in 000)
None 12195 14331 26526 2908 3928 6836 15103 18259 33362
Primary 9169 8675 17845 3279 3244 6523 12448 11919 24368
Secondary 12388 13578 25966 5794 6444 12238 18182 20022 38205
Tertiary 1335 456 1791 1816 947 2762 3150 1403 4554
Others 289 70 359 52 16 68 341 86 427
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
None 84.3 39.2 60.0 83.5 34.1 55.1 84.2 38.1 59.0
Primary 91.3 41.0 66.8 92.1 36.3 64.4 91.5 39.7 66.2
Secondary 71.3 35.6 52.6 75.8 24.1 48.6 72.7 31.9 51.3
Secondary 64.3 37.0 54.3 67.7 28.9 50.2 65.7 33.1 52.5
Tertiary 90.5 69.3 85.1 88.6 50.9 75.7 89.4 56.9 79.4
Others 56.6 18.6 49.2 54.7 9.1 43.8 56.3 16.8 48.3
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
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Table S117: Labour force participation rate (LFPR) aged 15 or older, by division, sex and area
(in 000)
Barisal 2339 2450 4789 564 581 1146 2904 3031 5935
Chittagong 6190 7093 13283 2832 3083 5916 9023 10177 19199
Dhaka 10823 10696 21519 7687 7806 15493 18510 18502 37012
Khulna 4947 4931 9878 1298 1313 2610 6245 6243 12488
Rajshahi 5937 5793 11731 1595 1617 3213 7533 7411 14944
Rangpur 5456 5081 10537 1232 1152 2385 6689 6233 12922
Sylhet 2601 2752 5353 575 625 1200 3177 3377 6554
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Barisal 78.2 29.4 53.3 77.5 24.2 50.4 78.1 28.4 52.7
Chittagong 75.2 39.9 56.3 78.1 29.4 52.7 76.1 36.7 55.2
Dhaka 79.8 34.0 57.1 82.6 33.2 57.7 81.0 33.7 57.3
Khulna 81.8 38.5 60.2 79.9 26.9 53.2 81.4 36.0 58.7
Rajshahi 82.6 54.5 68.7 80.7 35.3 57.8 82.2 50.3 66.4
Rangpur 84.1 40.7 63.2 82.7 31.9 58.1 83.9 39.1 62.3
Sylhet 79.7 23.6 50.9 77.9 14.4 44.8 79.4 21.9 49.8
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
Table S118: Labour force participation rate (LFPR) aged 15 or older, by literacy status, sex and area
(in 000)
Literate 26405 23890 50295 12914 12023 24937 39318 35913 75231
Not-literate 11890 14906 26796 2871 4155 7026 14761 19061 33822
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Literate 78.8 40.0 60.4 80.6 30.9 56.7 79.4 37.0 59.1
Not-literate 83.6 36.2 57.2 82.8 31.4 52.4 83.5 35.1 56.2
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
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Table S119: Labour force participation rate (LFPR), by education attainment, sex and area
(in 000)
Some or completed
9169 8675 17845 3279 3244 6523 12448 11919 24368
primary
Secondary or post-
15307 15263 30570 7730 8043 15773 23037 23306 46343
Tertiary 1335 456 1791 1816 947 2762 3150 1403 4554
Not specified 289 70 359 52 16 68 341 86 427
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Some or completed
91.3 41.0 66.8 92.1 36.3 64.4 91.5 39.7 66.2
primary
Secondary or post-
70.0 35.7 52.9 73.8 25.1 48.9 71.3 32.0 51.5
Tertiary 90.5 69.3 85.1 88.6 50.9 75.7 89.4 56.9 79.4
Not specified 56.6 18.6 49.2 54.7 9.1 43.8 56.3 16.8 48.3
Total 80.3 38.6 59.3 81.0 31.0 55.7 80.5 36.3 58.2
(in 000)
Quarter Rural Urban Total
Unemployed
Q1 736 708 1444 447 549 996 1183 1257 2440
Q2 1019 905 1923 424 363 787 1443 1267 2710
Q3 951 1035 1986 416 453 869 1367 1488 2855
Q4 1012 878 1891 382 428 810 1394 1307 2701
Year 2016-17 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Total labour force
Q1 30329 14864 45193 12720 4930 17650 43049 19794 62843
Q2 30782 14794 45576 12827 5328 18156 43609 20123 63731
Q3 31042 15188 46229 12842 4982 17824 43883 20170 64054
Q4 30803 14983 45786 12770 4833 17603 43573 19817 63390
Year 2016-17 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Unemployment rate
Q1 2.4 4.8 3.2 3.5 11.1 5.6 2.7 6.4 3.9
Q2 3.3 6.1 4.2 3.3 6.8 4.3 3.3 6.3 4.3
Q3 3.1 6.8 4.3 3.2 9.1 4.9 3.1 7.4 4.5
Q4 3.3 5.9 4.1 3.0 8.9 4.6 3.2 6.6 4.3
Year 2016-17 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
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(in 000)
Quarter Unemployed Labour force Unemployment rate
Q1 1183 1257 2440 43049 19794 62843 2.7 6.4 3.9
Q2 1443 1267 2710 43609 20123 63731 3.3 6.3 4.3
Q3 1367 1488 2855 43883 20170 64054 3.1 7.4 4.5
Q4 1394 1307 2701 43573 19817 63390 3.2 6.6 4.3
Year 2016-17 1347 1330 2677 43528 19976 63504 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S122: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by broad age group, sex and area

15-29 8.1 14.3 10.2 8.7 16.7 11.6 8.2 15.0 10.6
30-64 0.9 2.1 1.3 0.9 2.7 1.4 0.9 2.2 1.3
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
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Table S123: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by education, area and sex
(in 000)
Unemployed
None 105 143 248 21 30 51 126 173 300
Primary 150 170 320 52 56 108 202 226 428
Secondary 301 329 630 122 145 267 422 474 897
Tertiary 134 82 217 100 88 188 234 171 405
Others 8 0 8 2 0 2 9 0 9
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Labour force
None 10283 5624 15907 2427 1341 3768 12710 6965 19675
Primary 8375 3553 11928 3020 1179 4200 11395 4732 16127
Secondary 8833 4828 13661 4394 1552 5946 13227 6380 19607
Tertiary 1207 316 1524 1608 482 2090 2816 798 3614
Others 163 13 176 28 1 30 192 14 206
Total 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Unemployment rate
None 1.0 2.5 1.6 0.9 2.2 1.4 1.0 2.5 1.5
Primary 1.8 4.8 2.7 1.7 4.8 2.6 1.8 4.8 2.7
Secondary 3.4 6.8 4.6 2.8 9.4 4.5 3.2 7.4 4.6
Tertiary 11.1 26.1 14.2 6.2 18.3 9.0 8.3 21.4 11.2
Others 4.8 0.0 4.4 5.6 2.5 5.5 4.9 0.3 4.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
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Table S124: Unemployment rate aged 15 or older, by education attainment, area and sex
(in 000)
Education attainment Rural Urban Total
Unemployed
Some or completed
150 170 320 52 56 108 202 226 428
primary
Secondary or post-
532 486 1018 243 274 516 775 759 1534
Tertiary 134 82 217 100 88 188 234 171 405
Not specified 8 0 8 2 0 2 9 0 9
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Labour force
Some or completed
8375 3553 11928 3020 1179 4200 11395 4732 16127
primary
Secondary or post-
10710 5451 16161 5706 2015 7721 16416 7466 23882
Tertiary 1207 316 1524 1608 482 2090 2816 798 3614
Not specified 163 13 176 28 1 30 192 14 206
Total 30739 14957 45696 12790 5018 17808 43528 19976 63504
Unemployment rate
Some or completed
1.8 4.8 2.7 1.7 4.8 2.6 1.8 4.8 2.7
primary
Secondary or post-
5.0 8.9 6.3 4.3 13.6 6.7 4.7 10.2 6.4
Tertiary 11.1 26.1 14.2 6.2 18.3 9.0 8.3 21.4 11.2
Not specified 4.8 0.0 4.4 5.6 2.5 5.5 4.9 0.3 4.6
Total 3.0 5.9 4.0 3.3 8.9 4.9 3.1 6.7 4.2
Table S125: Unemployment rate by age group, migrant/non-migrant and sex

(in 000)
Age group Migrant Non-migrant Total
15-29 68 270 338 1012 781 1793 1079 1051 2131
30-64 27 79 106 240 200 440 267 279 546
65+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 95 349 444 1252 981 2233 1347 1330 2677
Labour force
15-29 1614 2395 4009 11483 4592 16074 13096 6987 20083
30-64 4114 3321 7435 24156 9378 33534 28270 12699 40969
65+ 194 53 248 1968 236 2205 2163 290 2452
Total 5922 5770 11691 37607 14206 51813 43528 19976 63504
Unemployment rate
15-29 4.2 11.3 8.4 8.8 17.0 11.2 8.2 15.0 10.6
30-64 0.7 2.4 1.4 1.0 2.1 1.3 0.9 2.2 1.3
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 1.6 6.0 3.8 3.3 6.9 4.3 3.1 6.7 4.2
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Table S126. Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total employment aged 15 or older, by age
group, sex and area (in 000)
Employed total
15-29 8457 4064 12521 3560 1871 5432 12017 5936 17952
30-64 19609 9770 29379 8394 2650 11044 28002 12421 40423
65+ 1744 241 1985 418 48 467 2163 290 2452
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Own account worker
15-29 2801 1638 4438 1007 360 1367 3807 1998 5805
30-64 12341 4501 16842 4399 795 5194 16739 5297 22036
65+ 1365 138 1503 293 21 314 1658 159 1818
Total 16506 6277 22783 5699 1176 6875 22205 7454 29659
Contributing family worker
15-29 1070 1336 2406 254 136 390 1324 1472 2796
30-64 278 3421 3699 69 327 396 347 3748 4094
65+ 31 63 94 7 6 12 37 69 107
Total 1379 4820 6199 329 468 798 1708 5289 6997
15-29 33.1 40.3 35.4 28.3 19.2 25.2 31.7 33.7 32.3
30-64 62.9 46.1 57.3 52.4 30.0 47.0 59.8 42.6 54.5
65+ 78.3 57.4 75.7 70.1 42.9 67.3 76.7 55.0 74.1
Total 55.4 44.6 51.9 46.1 25.7 40.6 52.6 40.0 48.8
15-29 12.7 32.9 19.2 7.1 7.3 7.2 11.0 24.8 15.6
30-64 1.4 35.0 12.6 0.8 12.3 3.6 1.2 30.2 10.1
65+ 1.8 26.3 4.8 1.6 12.0 2.6 1.7 23.9 4.4
Total 4.6 34.2 14.1 2.7 10.3 4.7 4.0 28.4 11.5
15-29 45.8 73.2 54.7 35.4 26.5 32.3 42.7 58.5 47.9
30-64 64.4 81.1 69.9 53.2 42.3 50.6 61.0 72.8 64.6
65+ 80.0 83.8 80.5 71.7 55.0 70.0 78.4 78.9 78.5
Total 60.0 78.8 66.0 48.7 36.0 45.3 56.7 68.3 60.3
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Table S127: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use provision of services in the previous 1 week, by
labour force status, sex and area (in 000)
Cooking
Employed 554 13177 13731 433 3947 4380 987 17124 18111
Unemployed 25 765 790 19 376 395 44 1142 1185
Not in LF 273 19326 19600 117 9274 9390 390 28600 28990
Total 852 33268 34121 569 13597 14166 1421 46865 48287
Cleaning clothes and dishes
Employed 3315 13348 16663 1790 4138 5928 5106 17486 22592
Unemployed 139 806 945 74 407 481 212 1213 1426
Not in LF 1089 20533 21622 483 9784 10267 1573 30316 31889
Total 4543 34687 39230 2347 14329 16677 6891 49016 55906
Cleaning utensil / house
Employed 1876 13187 15063 918 4037 4956 2795 17224 20019
Unemployed 95 798 892 35 404 439 129 1202 1331
Not in LF 664 20382 21046 263 9776 10038 927 30158 31084
Total 2635 34367 37002 1216 14217 15432 3850 48584 52434
Shopping
Employed 25119 3718 28837 10558 2272 12829 35677 5989 41666
Unemployed 568 283 851 253 194 448 822 477 1299
Not in LF 3469 4280 7748 1458 3596 5054 4927 7876 12803
Total 29156 8280 37436 12269 6062 18331 41425 14342 55767
Caring for children/ old/ sick
Employed 6914 8133 15047 3065 2142 5207 9978 10275 20254
Unemployed 125 465 590 53 234 287 178 698 877
Not in LF 854 12233 13087 319 6041 6360 1173 18274 19447
Total 7893 20831 28724 3437 8417 11854 11330 29248 40578
Any other Household chores
Employed 7102 7052 14154 3130 2277 5408 10232 9330 19561
Unemployed 183 378 561 83 221 304 266 600 865
Not in LF 1300 11950 13250 525 5616 6141 1825 17566 19390
Total 8584 19380 27964 3738 8115 11853 12322 27495 39817
Cooking as % of total working age population
Employed 1.9 93.6 31.3 3.5 86.4 25.9 2.3 91.8 29.8
Unemployed 2.7 86.8 43.6 4.5 83.9 45.6 3.3 85.8 44.3
Not in LF 3.6 81.1 62.4 3.9 83.1 66.3 3.7 81.7 63.6
Total 2.2 85.8 44.3 3.6 84.0 44.3 2.6 85.2 44.3
Cleaning clothes and dishes as % of total working age population
Employed 11.1 94.8 38.0 14.5 90.6 35.0 12.1 93.8 37.1
Unemployed 14.9 91.4 52.2 17.7 90.9 55.6 15.8 91.2 53.3
Not in LF 14.4 86.1 68.9 16.1 87.7 72.5 14.9 86.6 70.0
Total 11.9 89.4 50.9 14.9 88.6 52.2 12.7 89.2 51.3
Cleaning utensil / house as % of total working age population
Employed 6.3 93.7 34.3 7.4 88.3 29.2 6.6 92.4 32.9
Unemployed 10.2 90.5 49.3 8.3 90.1 50.7 9.6 90.4 49.7
Not in LF 8.8 85.5 67.0 8.8 87.6 70.9 8.8 86.2 68.2
Total 6.9 88.6 48.0 7.7 87.9 48.3 7.1 88.4 48.1
Shopping as % of total working age population
Employed 84.3 26.4 65.7 85.3 49.7 75.7 84.6 32.1 68.5
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Table S127: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use provision of services in the previous 1 week, by
labour force status, sex and area (in 000)
Unemployed 61.1 32.1 47.0 60.7 43.3 51.7 61.0 35.9 48.5
Not in LF 45.9 18.0 24.7 48.7 32.2 35.7 46.7 22.5 28.1
Total 76.1 21.3 48.6 77.7 37.5 57.4 76.6 26.1 51.1
Caring for children/ old/ sick as % of total working age population
Employed 23.2 57.8 34.3 24.8 46.9 30.7 23.7 55.1 33.3
Unemployed 13.5 52.7 32.6 12.7 52.1 33.1 13.2 52.5 32.8
Not in LF 11.3 51.3 41.7 10.7 54.1 44.9 11.1 52.2 42.7
Total 20.6 53.7 37.3 21.8 52.0 37.1 21.0 53.2 37.2
Any other Household chores as % of total working age population
Employed 23.8 50.1 32.3 25.3 49.8 31.9 24.3 50.0 32.2
Unemployed 19.7 42.9 31.0 19.9 49.4 35.1 19.7 45.1 32.3
Not in LF 17.2 50.1 42.2 17.5 50.3 43.4 17.3 50.2 42.6
Total 22.4 50.0 36.3 23.7 50.2 37.1 22.8 50.0 36.5
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Table S128: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1 week, by education, sex and area
(in 000)
Cooking
Some or completed
202 8059 8261 116 2913 3029 318 10972 11290
primary
post-secondary non-
333 12614 12946 260 6588 6848 593 19202 19794
tertiary
Tertiary 30 373 403 85 838 923 115 1212 1326
Not specified 4 42 46 2 13 15 6 55 61
Total 852 33268 34121 569 13597 14166 1421 46865 48287
Some or completed
1061 8165 9226 522 3020 3543 1584 11185 12769
primary
post-secondary non-
2112 13592 15704 1217 7147 8364 3329 20739 24068
tertiary
Tertiary 168 393 561 239 792 1031 407 1185 1592
Not specified 28 53 81 5 14 19 32 67 100
Total 4543 34687 39230 2347 14329 16677 6891 49016 55906
Some or completed
596 8068 8664 248 2959 3206 844 11027 11870
primary
post-secondary non-
1125 13515 14640 610 7151 7762 1736 20666 22402
tertiary
Tertiary 72 389 460 123 808 931 195 1197 1391
Not specified 12 52 64 3 13 16 15 65 81
Total 2635 34367 37002 1216 14217 15432 3850 48584 52434
Shopping
Some or completed
7408 1818 9226 2653 1244 3897 10061 3062 13123
primary
post-secondary non-
10448 3674 14122 5669 3014 8683 16117 6688 22805
tertiary
Tertiary 955 121 1076 1526 487 2013 2481 609 3090
Not specified 144 7 151 29 1 30 173 9 181
Total 29156 8280 37436 12269 6062 18331 41425 14342 55767
Caring for children/ old/ sick
Some or completed
2312 5341 7653 767 1812 2578 3078 7153 10231
primary
post-secondary non-
2892 8606 11497 1574 4282 5856 4465 12888 17354
tertiary
Tertiary 259 249 508 487 523 1011 747 772 1519
Not specified 36 36 72 8 10 18 44 45 90
Total 7893 20831 28724 3437 8417 11854 11330 29248 40578
Any other Household chores
Some or completed
2208 4673 6881 820 1777 2596 3027 6450 9477
primary
post-secondary non-
3160 7439 10598 1756 4011 5767 4916 11450 16366
tertiary
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(in 000)
Tertiary 250 217 467 465 424 889 715 641 1356
Not specified 55 38 93 8 10 18 63 48 111
Total 8584 19380 27964 3738 8115 11853 12322 27495 39817
Cooking (%)
Some or completed
2.2 92.9 46.3 3.5 89.8 46.4 2.6 92.0 46.3
primary
post-secondary non-
2.2 82.6 42.3 3.4 81.9 43.4 2.6 82.4 42.7
tertiary
Tertiary 2.2 81.8 22.5 4.7 88.5 33.4 3.6 86.4 29.1
Not specified 1.5 59.4 12.8 3.8 81.6 22.3 1.9 63.6 14.3
Total 2.2 85.8 44.3 3.6 84.0 44.3 2.6 85.2 44.3
Cleaning clothes and dishes (%)
Some or completed
11.6 94.1 51.7 15.9 93.1 54.3 12.7 93.8 52.4
primary
post-secondary non-
13.8 89.1 51.4 15.7 88.9 53.0 14.5 89.0 51.9
tertiary
Tertiary 12.6 86.2 31.3 13.2 83.7 37.3 12.9 84.5 35.0
Not specified 9.7 75.4 22.5 8.8 88.6 27.8 9.5 77.9 23.3
Total 11.9 89.4 50.9 14.9 88.6 52.2 12.7 89.2 51.3
Cleaning utensil / house (%)
Some or completed
6.5 93.0 48.6 7.6 91.2 49.2 6.8 92.5 48.7
primary
post-secondary non-
7.4 88.5 47.9 7.9 88.9 49.2 7.5 88.7 48.3
tertiary
Tertiary 5.4 85.2 25.7 6.8 85.3 33.7 6.2 85.3 30.6
Not specified 4.2 74.7 18.0 6.3 80.5 23.9 4.5 75.8 18.9
Total 6.9 88.6 48.0 7.7 87.9 48.3 7.1 88.4 48.1
Shopping (%)
Some or completed
80.8 21.0 51.7 80.9 38.4 59.7 80.8 25.7 53.9
primary
post-secondary non-
68.3 24.1 46.2 73.3 37.5 55.0 70.0 28.7 49.2
tertiary
Tertiary 71.5 26.6 60.1 84.0 51.5 72.9 78.7 43.4 67.9
Not specified 49.7 10.1 42.0 55.7 9.0 44.6 50.6 9.9 42.4
Total 76.1 21.3 48.6 77.7 37.5 57.4 76.6 26.1 51.1
Caring for children/ old/ sick (%)
Some or completed
25.2 61.6 42.9 23.4 55.8 39.5 24.7 60.0 42.0
primary
post-secondary non-
18.9 56.4 37.6 20.4 53.2 37.1 19.4 55.3 37.4
tertiary
Tertiary 19.4 54.5 28.4 26.8 55.3 36.6 23.7 55.0 33.4
Not specified 12.5 50.9 20.0 15.7 60.2 26.3 13.0 52.7 21.0
Total 20.6 53.7 37.3 21.8 52.0 37.1 21.0 53.2 37.2
Any other Household chores (%)
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(in 000)
Some or completed
24.1 53.9 38.6 25.0 54.8 39.8 24.3 54.1 38.9
primary
post-secondary non-
20.6 48.7 34.7 22.7 49.9 36.6 21.3 49.1 35.3
tertiary
Tertiary 18.7 47.5 26.1 25.6 44.8 32.2 22.7 45.7 29.8
Not specified 19.0 54.5 25.9 15.7 61.9 26.7 18.5 55.9 26.0
Total 22.4 50.0 36.3 23.7 50.2 37.1 22.8 50.0 36.5
Table S129: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1 week, by
education, sex and area
post-secondary non-tertiary 9 24 17 8 24 17 9 24 17
Tertiary 8 21 12 9 22 14 9 22 13
Not specified 8 23 12 8 24 13 8 23 12
Total 9 26 18 9 25 18 9 26 18
Employed 8 23 13 8 19 11 8 22 13
Unemployed 11 24 18 12 22 18 11 23 18
Not in LF 11 29 26 11 28 25 11 28 26
Total 9 26 18 9 25 18 9 26 18
age group, sex and area
15-29 9 24 18 8 23 17 9 24 18
30-64 9 28 19 9 27 18 9 28 19
65+ 8 15 11 8 15 10 8 15 11
Total 9 26 18 9 25 18 9 26 18
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Table S132: Distribution of persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use services in the previous 1 week, by literacy,
sex and area (in ‘000)
Own use service workers
Literate 20165 22331 42497 10398 11314 21712 30563 33646 64209
Not-literate 10208 13588 23796 2421 3742 6163 12629 17329 29959
Total 30373 35919 66293 12819 15056 27875 43193 50975 94168
Literate 26405 23890 50295 12914 12023 24937 39318 35913 75231
Not-literate 11890 14906 26796 2871 4155 7026 14761 19061 33822
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Literate 76.4 93.5 84.5 80.5 94.1 87.1 77.7 93.7 85.3
Not-literate 85.9 91.2 88.8 84.3 90.1 87.7 85.6 90.9 88.6
Total 79.3 92.6 86.0 81.2 93.1 87.2 79.9 92.7 86.3
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Table S133: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 month, by labour force status, sex
and area (in 000)
Employed 5958 7042 13000 524 670 1194 6482 7712 14194
Unemployed 71 80 150 6 14 20 76 94 170
Not in LF 350 2877 3226 39 575 614 388 3452 3841
Total 6378 9998 16376 569 1260 1828 6947 11258 18205
Employed 1864 351 2216 145 31 176 2009 383 2392
Unemployed 62 43 105 6 3 10 68 47 115
Not in LF 195 242 438 15 26 41 210 268 478
Total 2121 637 2759 166 60 226 2288 697 2985
Employed 1012 325 1337 115 30 144 1127 354 1481
Unemployed 31 9 40 5 4 9 36 13 49
Not in LF 96 267 364 26 51 77 122 319 441
Total 1139 601 1741 146 84 230 1285 686 1971
Employed 636 1298 1933 41 63 104 677 1360 2037
Unemployed 39 179 218 4 25 29 43 204 247
Not in LF 134 2621 2755 4 342 346 138 2963 3101
Total 809 4098 4907 50 429 479 859 4527 5386
Employed 527 874 1401 68 154 222 595 1028 1623
Unemployed 11 29 40 0 15 15 11 44 55
Not in LF 51 715 766 9 271 280 60 986 1046
Total 589 1618 2207 77 440 517 666 2058 2725
Employed 1247 1127 2373 128 164 292 1375 1291 2666
Unemployed 29 77 107 2 20 23 32 98 130
Not in LF 155 1152 1307 23 367 391 178 1520 1698
Total 1431 2356 3787 154 552 706 1585 2908 4493
Employed 20.0 50.0 29.6 4.2 14.7 7.0 15.4 41.4 23.3
Unemployed 7.6 9.0 8.3 1.4 3.2 2.3 5.7 7.1 6.4
Not in LF 4.6 12.1 10.3 1.3 5.2 4.3 3.7 9.9 8.4
Total 16.7 25.8 21.2 3.6 7.8 5.7 12.8 20.5 16.7
Employed 6.3 2.5 5.0 1.2 0.7 1.0 4.8 2.1 3.9
Unemployed 6.7 4.9 5.8 1.6 0.7 1.1 5.1 3.5 4.3
Not in LF 2.6 1.0 1.4 0.5 0.2 0.3 2.0 0.8 1.0
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Table S133: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 month, by labour force status, sex
and area (in 000)
Total 5.5 1.6 3.6 1.1 0.4 0.7 4.2 1.3 2.7
Employed 3.4 2.3 3.0 0.9 0.6 0.9 2.7 1.9 2.4
Unemployed 3.3 1.0 2.2 1.2 0.8 1.0 2.7 0.9 1.8
Not in LF 1.3 1.1 1.2 0.9 0.5 0.5 1.2 0.9 1.0
Total 3.0 1.5 2.3 0.9 0.5 0.7 2.4 1.2 1.8
Employed 2.1 9.2 4.4 0.3 1.4 0.6 1.6 7.3 3.3
Unemployed 4.2 20.3 12.0 0.9 5.6 3.4 3.2 15.3 9.2
Not in LF 1.8 11.0 8.8 0.1 3.1 2.4 1.3 8.5 6.8
Total 2.1 10.6 6.4 0.3 2.7 1.5 1.6 8.2 4.9
Employed 1.8 6.2 3.2 0.6 3.4 1.3 1.4 5.5 2.7
Unemployed 1.2 3.3 2.2 0.1 3.4 1.8 0.8 3.3 2.1
Not in LF 0.7 3.0 2.4 0.3 2.4 2.0 0.6 2.8 2.3
Total 1.5 4.2 2.9 0.5 2.7 1.6 1.2 3.7 2.5
Employed 4.2 8.0 5.4 1.0 3.6 1.7 3.3 6.9 4.4
Unemployed 3.2 8.8 5.9 0.6 4.6 2.6 2.4 7.4 4.8
Not in LF 2.0 4.8 4.2 0.8 3.3 2.8 1.7 4.3 3.7
Total 3.7 6.1 4.9 1.0 3.4 2.2 2.9 5.3 4.1
Table S134: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 month, by
Employed 28 28 28 24 24 24 28 27 28
Unemployed 21 18 19 16 17 17 21 18 19
Not in LF 27 26 26 25 24 24 27 26 26
Total 28 27 27 24 24 24 28 26 27
Table S135: Average hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in own use goods in the previous 1 month, by
age group, sex and area
15-29 26 25 25 22 22 22 25 24 25
30-64 29 28 28 25 25 25 28 28 28
65+ 29 29 29 26 25 26 29 29 29
Total 28 27 27 24 24 24 28 26 27
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Table S136: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by labour force status,
sex and area
Volunteer
Employed 4739 758 5497 2042 372 2413 6781 1129 7910
Unemployed 95 80 176 47 51 98 142 131 273
Not in LF 607 969 1576 275 616 891 883 1585 2467
Total 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
Employed 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Unemployed 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Not in LF 7556 23839 31395 2995 11160 14155 10551 34998 45549
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Employed 15.9 5.4 12.5 16.5 8.1 14.2 16.1 6.1 13.0
Unemployed 10.3 9.1 9.7 11.2 11.3 11.3 10.6 9.9 10.2
Not in LF 8.0 4.1 5.0 9.2 5.5 6.3 8.4 4.5 5.4
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
Table S137: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by age group sex and
area
15-29 1167 616 1783 473 377 849 1640 993 2632
30-64 3723 1124 4847 1723 638 2362 5447 1762 7209
65+ 552 67 618 168 23 191 720 90 809
Total 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
15-29 13856 14661 28517 5777 6959 12736 19633 21620 41254
30-64 20863 21531 42394 8993 8498 17491 29856 30029 59885
65+ 3575 2604 6179 1015 721 1736 4591 3325 7915
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
15-29 8.4 4.2 6.3 8.2 5.4 6.7 8.4 4.6 6.4
30-64 17.8 5.2 11.4 19.2 7.5 13.5 18.2 5.9 12.0
65+ 15.4 2.6 10.0 16.6 3.2 11.0 15.7 2.7 10.2
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
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Table S138: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by education, sex and area

Volunteers
Some or completed
1285 413 1699 493 217 710 1779 630 2409
primary
Secondary or post-
2219 800 3019 1133 515 1648 3352 1315 4666
Tertiary 387 45 432 394 88 482 781 133 914
Not specified 50 2 52 7 1 8 57 3 60
Total 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
working age population
Some or completed
9169 8675 17845 3279 3244 6523 12448 11919 24368
primary
Secondary or post-
15307 15263 30570 7730 8043 15773 23037 23306 46343
Tertiary 1335 456 1791 1816 947 2762 3150 1403 4554
Not specified 289 70 359 52 16 68 341 86 427
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Some or completed
14.0 4.8 9.5 15.0 6.7 10.9 14.3 5.3 9.9
primary
Secondary or post-
14.5 5.2 9.9 14.7 6.4 10.4 14.5 5.6 10.1
Tertiary 29.0 9.8 24.1 21.7 9.3 17.5 24.8 9.5 20.1
Not specified 17.4 2.5 14.5 12.6 8.4 11.6 16.7 3.6 14.1
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
Column %
Some or completed
23.6 22.9 23.4 20.9 20.9 20.9 22.8 22.2 22.6
primary
Secondary or post-
40.8 44.3 41.6 47.9 49.6 48.4 42.9 46.2 43.8
Tertiary 7.1 2.5 6.0 16.7 8.5 14.2 10.0 4.7 8.6
Not specified 0.9 0.1 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Row %
Some or completed
53.4 17.2 70.5 20.5 9.0 29.5 73.8 26.2 100.0
primary
Secondary or post-
47.5 17.1 64.7 24.3 11.0 35.3 71.8 28.2 100.0
Tertiary 42.3 4.9 47.2 43.1 9.6 52.8 85.5 14.5 100.0
Not specified 83.9 2.9 86.8 10.9 2.3 13.2 94.8 5.2 100.0
Total 51.1 17.0 68.1 22.2 9.7 31.9 73.3 26.7 100.0
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Table V4: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by division, sex and area
(in 000)
Barisal 114 56 171 44 18 62 158 74 232
Chittagong 1107 465 1572 483 252 735 1590 717 2308
Dhaka 1650 547 2197 1146 511 1657 2796 1057 3854
Khulna 538 258 797 180 117 297 718 376 1094
Rajshahi 640 79 719 166 26 192 806 106 912
Rangpur 1203 355 1559 296 104 400 1499 460 1959
Sylhet 188 45 233 49 10 59 237 55 292
Total 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
Column %
Barisal 4.9 2.3 3.6 7.7 3.1 5.4 5.4 2.4 3.9
Chittagong 17.9 6.6 11.8 17.1 8.2 12.4 17.6 7.0 12.0
Dhaka 15.2 5.1 10.2 14.9 6.5 10.7 15.1 5.7 10.4
Khulna 10.9 5.2 8.1 13.9 8.9 11.4 11.5 6.0 8.8
Rajshahi 10.8 1.4 6.1 10.4 1.6 6.0 10.7 1.4 6.1
Rangpur 22.1 7.0 14.8 24.0 9.0 16.8 22.4 7.4 15.2
Sylhet 7.2 1.6 4.4 8.6 1.6 4.9 7.5 1.6 4.5
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
Barisal 4.9 2.3 3.6 7.7 3.1 5.4 5.4 2.4 3.9
Chittagong 17.9 6.6 11.8 17.1 8.2 12.4 17.6 7.0 12.0
Dhaka 15.2 5.1 10.2 14.9 6.5 10.7 15.1 5.7 10.4
Khulna 10.9 5.2 8.1 13.9 8.9 11.4 11.5 6.0 8.8
Rajshahi 10.8 1.4 6.1 10.4 1.6 6.0 10.7 1.4 6.1
Rangpur 22.1 7.0 14.8 24.0 9.0 16.8 22.4 7.4 15.2
Sylhet 7.2 1.6 4.4 8.6 1.6 4.9 7.5 1.6 4.5
Total 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
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Table S139: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by type, labour force status,
sex and area
Personal assistance as % of working age population
Employed 6.6 2.3 5.2 11.1 4.7 9.4 7.9 2.8 6.4
Unemployed 3.5 4.8 4.1 5.4 6.0 5.8 4.1 5.2 4.7
Not in LF 2.5 1.9 2.0 4.2 2.9 3.2 3.0 2.2 2.4
Total 5.7 2.1 3.9 9.7 3.5 6.5 6.9 2.5 4.7
Activities related to healthcare as % of working age population
Employed 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9
Unemployed 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.0 3.7 2.8 2.1 2.7 2.4
Not in LF 1.0 1.1 1.1 0.8 1.4 1.3 1.0 1.2 1.2
Total 1.7 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.6
Activities related to education as % of working age population
Employed 0.7 0.4 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.4 0.6
Unemployed 1.8 1.5 1.7 1.8 2.1 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.8
Not in LF 1.5 0.3 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.5 1.4 0.3 0.6
Total 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.9 0.4 0.6
Activities related to youths and children as % of working age population
Employed 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2
Unemployed 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.6 0.1 0.4
Not in LF 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
Total 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
Cultural and recreational activities as % of working age population
Employed 0.6 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.5
Unemployed 1.4 0.3 0.9 1.0 0.2 0.6 1.3 0.3 0.8
Not in LF 0.6 0.1 0.2 0.7 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.1 0.2
Total 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.1 0.4
Social Welfare as % of working age population
Employed 6.1 1.9 4.8 7.0 3.2 6.0 6.4 2.2 5.1
Unemployed 3.8 4.1 3.9 3.0 5.4 4.3 3.5 4.6 4.0
Not in LF 1.9 1.0 1.3 3.2 1.7 2.1 2.3 1.3 1.5
Total 5.2 1.4 3.3 6.2 2.3 4.2 5.5 1.7 3.6
Emergency and Relief as % of working age population
Employed 0.8 0.1 0.6 0.9 0.3 0.8 0.8 0.2 0.6
Unemployed 0.5 0.9 0.7 0.5 1.0 0.7 0.5 0.9 0.7
Not in LF 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Total 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.4
Financial help as % of working age population
Employed 1.6 0.2 1.1 1.5 0.3 1.1 1.6 0.2 1.1
Unemployed 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4
Not in LF 0.6 0.3 0.4 0.9 0.3 0.4 0.7 0.3 0.4
Total 1.4 0.2 0.8 1.3 0.3 0.8 1.4 0.3 0.8
Activities related to religion as % of working age population
Employed 4.9 0.6 3.5 3.1 0.6 2.4 4.4 0.6 3.2
Unemployed 2.4 0.7 1.6 1.4 0.7 1.1 2.1 0.7 1.4
Not in LF 3.2 0.5 1.1 3.2 0.5 1.1 3.2 0.5 1.1
Total 4.5 0.5 2.5 3.1 0.6 1.8 4.1 0.5 2.3
Human rights and politics as % of working age population
Employed 2.4 0.3 1.7 2.3 0.5 1.8 2.4 0.4 1.7
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Table S139: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by type, labour force status,
sex and area
Unemployed 2.1 1.3 1.7 1.9 1.4 1.7 2.0 1.3 1.7
Not in LF 0.8 0.2 0.3 1.1 0.2 0.4 0.9 0.2 0.3
Total 2.1 0.2 1.2 2.0 0.3 1.2 2.1 0.3 1.2
Environment protection as % of working age population
Employed 0.4 0.0 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.4 0.4 0.1 0.3
Unemployed 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2
Not in LF 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Total 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.2
Volunteer of other type as % of working age population
Employed 0.6 0.1 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.6 0.7 0.1 0.5
Unemployed 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.2
Not in LF 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.2
Total 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.4
Table S140: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by type, age group, sex and
area

Personal assistance as % of working age population
15-29 3.7 1.9 2.7 5.0 2.9 3.8 4.1 2.2 3.1
30-64 7.3 2.4 4.8 12.8 4.2 8.6 8.9 2.9 5.9
65+ 4.8 0.9 3.2 8.0 1.4 5.3 5.5 1.0 3.6
Total 5.7 2.1 3.9 9.7 3.5 6.5 6.9 2.5 4.7
Activities related to healthcare as % of working age population
15-29 1.8 1.3 1.6 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.5
30-64 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.8
65+ 0.9 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.7
Total 1.7 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.6
Activities related to education as % of working age population
15-29 1.2 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.9 1.2 0.8 1.0
30-64 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.5
65+ 0.4 0.0 0.3 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.3
Total 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.9 0.4 0.6
Activities related to youths and children as % of working age population
15-29 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1
30-64 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
65+ 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
Total 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
Cultural and recreational activities as % of working age population
15-29 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4
30-64 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.1 0.4
65+ 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.3
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Table S140: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by type, age group, sex and
area

Total 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.1 0.4
Social Welfare as % of working age population
15-29 2.8 1.3 2.0 3.0 1.7 2.3 2.8 1.4 2.1
30-64 6.9 1.6 4.2 8.3 2.8 5.6 7.4 2.0 4.7
65+ 4.6 0.5 2.9 6.1 0.7 3.9 4.9 0.6 3.1
Total 5.2 1.4 3.3 6.2 2.3 4.2 5.5 1.7 3.6
Emergency and Relief as % of working age population
15-29 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.2
30-64 0.9 0.2 0.5 1.0 0.4 0.7 0.9 0.2 0.6
65+ 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.1 0.4
Total 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.4
Financial help as % of working age population
15-29 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.3
30-64 1.9 0.3 1.1 1.8 0.4 1.1 1.9 0.3 1.1
65+ 1.8 0.2 1.1 1.6 0.1 1.0 1.8 0.2 1.1
Total 1.4 0.2 0.8 1.3 0.3 0.8 1.4 0.3 0.8
Activities related to religion as % of working age population
15-29 1.4 0.3 0.8 0.8 0.2 0.5 1.2 0.2 0.7
30-64 5.8 0.6 3.2 4.0 0.8 2.5 5.3 0.7 3.0
65+ 8.9 1.0 5.6 7.7 0.7 4.8 8.7 0.9 5.4
Total 4.5 0.5 2.5 3.1 0.6 1.8 4.1 0.5 2.3
Human rights and politics as % of working age population
15-29 0.9 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.5
30-64 2.8 0.3 1.5 2.9 0.4 1.7 2.9 0.3 1.6
65+ 2.3 0.1 1.4 2.5 0.1 1.5 2.3 0.1 1.4
Total 2.1 0.2 1.2 2.0 0.3 1.2 2.1 0.3 1.2
Environment protection as % of working age population
15-29 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
30-64 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.3
65+ 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.7 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.3
Total 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.2
Volunteer of other type as % of working age population
15-29 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2
30-64 0.8 0.1 0.4 0.9 0.2 0.6 0.8 0.1 0.5
65+ 0.9 0.1 0.6 0.7 0.1 0.4 0.9 0.1 0.6
Total 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.4
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Table V4: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Volunteer work in the previous 1 month, by type, sex and area
Type of volunteer work Rural Urban Bangladesh

Personal assistance 2196 808 3004 1525 564 2089 3721 1372 5092
Activities related to healthcare 669 554 1224 251 268 519 920 823 1743
Activities related to education 337 152 489 135 73 208 472 225 697
Activities related to youths and
86 12 98 35 11 46 121 23 144
children
Cultural and recreational
243 47 289 110 30 140 353 77 430
activities
Social Welfare 1999 553 2552 979 366 1345 2978 919 3898
Emergency and Relief 251 58 309 122 42 165 373 101 474
Financial help 526 95 621 212 46 258 738 141 879
Activities related to religion 1728 199 1928 486 92 577 2214 291 2505
Human rights and politics 797 93 890 321 47 368 1117 140 1258
Environment protection 113 26 139 62 23 84 175 48 223
Other type 221 49 270 104 27 131 325 75 401
Volunteer any type 5442 1806 7248 2364 1038 3402 7806 2845 10650
Working age population 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Personal assistance 5.7 2.1 3.9 9.7 3.5 6.5 6.9 2.5 4.7
Activities related to healthcare 1.7 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.6
Activities related to education 0.9 0.4 0.6 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.9 0.4 0.6
Activities related to youths and
0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.1
children
Cultural and recreational
0.6 0.1 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.7 0.1 0.4
activities
Social Welfare 5.2 1.4 3.3 6.2 2.3 4.2 5.5 1.7 3.6
Emergency and Relief 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.4
Financial help 1.4 0.2 0.8 1.3 0.3 0.8 1.4 0.3 0.8
Activities related to religion 4.5 0.5 2.5 3.1 0.6 1.8 4.1 0.5 2.3
Human rights and politics 2.1 0.2 1.2 2.0 0.3 1.2 2.1 0.3 1.2
Environment protection 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.2
Other type 0.6 0.1 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.1 0.4
Volunteer any type 14.2 4.7 9.4 15.0 6.4 10.6 14.4 5.2 9.8
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Table S141: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by labour force status, sex
and area (in 000)
Employed 16 2 18 7 2 9 24 3 27
Unemployed 6 2 8 4 0 4 10 2 12
Not in LF 62 4 66 54 4 58 117 8 124
Total 85 7 92 65 6 71 150 13 163
Employed 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0
Unemployed 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.9 0.0 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4
Not in LF 0.8 0.0 0.2 1.8 0.0 0.4 1.1 0.0 0.3
Total 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.1
Column %
Employed 19.3 21.2 19.5 10.9 28.9 12.4 15.7 24.6 16.4
Unemployed 6.9 26.0 8.4 5.7 2.2 5.4 6.4 15.5 7.1
Not in LF 73.7 52.8 72.1 83.4 68.9 82.2 77.9 59.9 76.5
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S142: Hours spent by persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by hours
band, sex and area (in 000)
Hours worked Rural Urban Bangladesh
1-10 5 2 8 3 1 4 8 4 12
11-20 12 1 13 16 2 18 28 3 30
21-30 43 2 45 34 2 36 77 4 81
31-40 13 2 15 7 0 7 20 2 23
41+ 11 0 11 6 0 6 17 0 17
Total 85 7 92 65 6 71 150 13 163
Table S143: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by age group, sex and area
(in 000)
15-29 74 6 80 43 5 47 116 11 127
30-64 11 1 12 23 1 23 33 2 36
Total 85 7 92 65 6 71 150 13 163
Column %
15-29 87.1 84.4 86.9 65.4 83.2 66.8 77.7 83.9 78.2
30-64 12.9 15.6 13.1 34.6 16.8 33.2 22.3 16.1 21.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S144: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by education, sex and area
(in 000)
Secondary post-secondary
48.8 76.2 50.9 58.3 41.5 56.9 52.9 60.9 53.6
non-tertiary
Tertiary 5.0 11.6 5.5 30.1 43.3 31.2 15.9 25.6 16.7
Not specified 4.4 0.0 4.1 0.8 0.0 0.8 2.9 0.0 2.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table 145: Persons aged 15 or older engaged in Apprentice work in the previous 1 week, by literacy, sex and area
(in 000)
Literate 74 7 81 64 5 70 138 13 151
Not-literate 11 0 11 1 0 1 11 0 12
Total 85 7 92 65 6 71 150 13 163
Apprentice as % of total working age population
Literate 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.4 0.0 0.2
Not-literate 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0
Total 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.1
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Table S146: Distribution of type labour under-utilization of the country, by quarter, sex and area
(in '000)
Q1 668 1337 2005 168 491 659 836 1828 2664
Q2 582 891 1473 314 586 900 895 1477 2373
Q3 584 923 1507 228 670 898 812 1592 2405
Q4 623 768 1391 219 683 902 842 1451 2293
Year 614 980 1594 232 607 840 846 1587 2434
Time related underemployed
Q1 663 455 1118 179 98 276 842 553 1395
Q2 826 414 1240 199 148 347 1025 562 1587
Q3 735 413 1148 231 106 337 966 519 1486
Q4 653 395 1048 220 126 345 872 521 1393
Year 719 419 1139 207 119 326 926 539 1465
Unemployed
Q1 736 708 1444 447 549 996 1183 1257 2440
Q2 1019 905 1923 424 363 787 1443 1267 2710
Q3 951 1035 1986 416 453 869 1367 1488 2855
Q4 1012 878 1891 382 428 810 1394 1307 2701
Year 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Labour under-utilization
Q1 2067 2500 4567 794 1138 1931 2861 3638 6498
Q2 2426 2210 4636 937 1097 2034 3364 3306 6670
Q3 2270 2371 4641 876 1229 2105 3146 3600 6746
Q4 2288 2042 4330 820 1237 2057 3108 3279 6387
Year 2263 2281 4544 857 1175 2032 3119 3456 6575
Table S147: Distribution of discouraged job seekers of the country, by age group, sex and area
(in '000)
15-29 259 355 614 127 261 388 386 617 1002
30-64 65 323 388 23 255 278 88 578 666
65+ 22 4 26 2 1 3 24 5 29
Total 346 682 1028 152 517 669 498 1199 1698
Column %
15-29 74.8 52.1 59.7 83.5 50.5 58.0 77.5 51.4 59.1
30-64 18.9 47.4 37.8 15.0 49.3 41.5 17.7 48.2 39.2
65+ 6.3 0.6 2.5 1.5 0.2 0.5 4.8 0.4 1.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S148: Time related underemployed of the country, by age group, sex and area
(in '000)
15-29 310 182 492 102 68 170 412 250 662
30-64 397 236 633 104 51 155 502 286 788
65+ 12 2 13 1 0 1 13 2 15
Total 719 419 1139 207 119 326 926 539 1465
Column %
15-29 43.1 43.4 43.2 49.1 57.1 52.1 44.5 46.4 45.2
30-64 55.2 56.2 55.6 50.4 42.5 47.5 54.1 53.2 53.8
65+ 1.6 0.4 1.2 0.5 0.3 0.4 1.4 0.4 1.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
% of total employed persons
15-29 3.7 4.5 3.9 2.9 3.6 3.1 3.4 4.2 3.7
30-64 2.0 2.4 2.2 1.2 1.9 1.4 1.8 2.3 1.9
65+ 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.2 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.6
Total 2.4 3.0 2.6 1.7 2.6 1.9 2.2 2.9 2.4
Table S149: Potential labour force of the country, by age group, sex and area
(in '000)
15-29 475 503 978 195 318 513 671 820 1491
30-64 114 473 587 34 289 323 149 762 910
65+ 25 4 29 2 1 3 27 5 32
Total 614 980 1594 232 607 840 846 1587 2434
Column %
15-29 77.4 51.3 61.4 84.1 52.3 61.1 79.2 51.7 61.3
30-64 18.6 48.3 36.8 14.8 47.6 38.5 17.6 48.0 37.4
65+ 4.0 0.4 1.8 1.1 0.2 0.4 3.2 0.3 1.3
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S150: Unemployed population of the country, by age group, sex and area
(in '000)
15-29 742 676 1417 338 376 713 1079 1051 2131
30-64 188 206 394 80 73 152 267 279 546
65+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 929 882 1811 417 448 866 1347 1330 2677
Column %
15-29 79.8 76.6 78.3 80.9 83.8 82.4 80.2 79.0 79.6
30-64 20.2 23.4 21.7 19.1 16.2 17.6 19.8 21.0 20.4
65+ 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S151: Labour under-utilization of the country 2016-17, by age group sex and area
(in '000)
Number of underutilized
15-29 1527 1360 2888 635 761 1396 2162 2122 4284
30-64 699 914 1614 218 412 631 918 1327 2244
65+ 36 6 42 3 1 5 40 7 47
Total 2263 2281 4544 857 1175 2032 3119 3456 6575
Column %
15-29 67.5 59.6 63.6 74.1 64.8 68.7 69.3 61.4 65.2
30-64 30.9 40.1 35.5 25.5 35.1 31.0 29.4 38.4 34.1
65+ 1.6 0.3 0.9 0.4 0.1 0.2 1.3 0.2 0.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Underutilized as % of total working age population
15-29 11.0 9.3 10.1 11.0 10.9 11.0 11.0 9.8 10.4
30-64 3.4 4.2 3.8 2.4 4.9 3.6 3.1 4.4 3.7
65+ 1.0 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.9 0.2 0.6
Total 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.4 7.3 6.4 5.8 6.3 6.0
Table S152: Labour under-utilization of the country, by education attainment, sex and area
(in '000)
Underutilized
1157 1326 2483 466 786 1253 1624 2113 3736
non-tertiary
Tertiary 214 117 331 169 145 314 383 262 645
Not specified 23 0 24 3 0 3 26 0 27
Total 2263 2281 4544 857 1175 2032 3119 3456 6575
15307 15263 30570 7730 8043 15773 23037 23306 46343
non-tertiary
Tertiary 1335 456 1791 1816 947 2762 3150 1403 4554
Not specified 289 70 359 52 16 68 341 86 427
Total 38295 38796 77091 15785 16178 31963 54080 54974 109054
Underutilized as % of working age population
7.6 8.7 8.1 6.0 9.8 7.9 7.0 9.1 8.1
non-tertiary
Tertiary 16.0 25.7 18.5 9.3 15.3 11.4 12.1 18.7 14.2
Not specified 8.0 0.6 6.6 5.9 0.2 4.5 7.7 0.5 6.3
Total 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.4 7.3 6.4 5.8 6.3 6.0
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Table S153: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, sex and area
(in 000)
Intention of employment Rural Urban Bangladesh
work Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total
Pay or profit 27272 8412 35685 12164 4110 16273 39436 12522 51958
2537 5663 8200 209 461 669 2746 6124 8870
goods
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Column %
Pay or profit 91.5 59.8 81.3 98.3 89.9 96.0 93.5 67.2 85.4
8.5 40.2 18.7 1.7 10.1 4.0 6.5 32.8 14.6
goods
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S154: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, and economic sector
(in 000)
Intention of employment work Sector
Pay or profit 15840 12416 23702 51958
Own-use production of goods 8853 8 9 8870
Total 24693 12424 23711 60828
Column %
Pay or profit 64.1 99.9 100.0 85.4
Own-use production of goods 35.9 0.1 0.0 14.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Table S155: Employed population aged 15 or older, by intention of work, sector, sex and area
(in 000)
Industry Rural Urban Total
Pay or profit
Agriculture 9946 4566 14513 877 450 1327 10824 5016 15840
Industry 5826 1609 7435 3451 1531 4981 9276 3140 12416
Service 11500 2237 13737 7836 2129 9965 19336 4366 23702
Total 27272 8412 35685 12164 4110 16273 39436 12522 51958
Own-use production of goods
Agriculture 2532 5654 8186 209 458 667 2741 6112 8853
Industry 2 4 7 0 1 1 2 5 8
Service 3 5 7 0 2 2 3 6 9
Total 2537 5663 8200 209 461 669 2746 6124 8870
Own-use production of goods % of total employed
Agriculture 20.3 55.3 36.1 19.2 50.5 33.4 20.2 54.9 35.9
Industry 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.1
Service 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0
Total 8.5 40.2 18.7 1.7 10.1 4.0 6.5 32.8 14.6
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Table S156: Occupational segregation (aged 15 or older), by sex and area
Occupation-BSCO 08 Male (in '000) Female (in '000)

Managers 316 574 890 33 74 107
Professionals 1071 831 1902 515 527 1042
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assembler 2434 1317 3751 238 176 414
Other occupations 93 51 144 4 5 8
Total 29858 12386 42244 14156 4595 18750
Column %
Managers 1.1 4.6 2.1 0.2 1.6 0.6
Professionals 3.6 6.7 4.5 3.6 11.5 5.6
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assembler 8.2 10.6 8.9 1.7 3.8 2.2
Other occupations 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
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Table S157: Female share of employment aged 15 or older in high-status occupations, by broad sector
Sub-major group Rural Urban Bangladesh

Agri Industry Service Total Agri Industry Service Total Agri Industry Service Total
Male (in '000)
Chief Executives,
Senior Officials and 0.9 11.3 32.4 44.6 0.0 21.4 31.3 52.8 0.9 32.6 63.8 97.4
Legislators
Administrative and
Commercial Managers
0.7 35.9 36.7 73.3 0.1 66.4 124.7 191.1 0.7 102.3 161.4 264.4
Total 1.6 47.1 69.1 117.9 0.1 87.8 156.0 243.9 1.7 134.9 225.1 361.8
Female (in '000)
Chief Executives,
Legislators
Administrative and
Commercial Managers
0.6 1.9 1.9 4.4 0.0 6.3 17.8 24.1 0.6 8.2 19.7 28.5
Total 0.9 2.2 9.6 12.6 0.0 8.9 20.7 29.6 0.9 11.0 30.3 42.2
Both (in '000)
Chief Executives,
Legislators
Administrative and
Commercial Managers
1.3 37.8 38.6 77.7 0.1 72.7 142.5 215.3 1.4 110.5 181.1 292.9
Total 2.4 49.3 78.7 130.5 0.1 96.7 176.7 273.5 2.5 146.0 255.4 403.9
Female share (%)
Chief Executives,
Legislators
Administrative and
Commercial Managers
47.5 5.0 4.9 5.7 0.0 8.6 12.5 11.2 45.2 7.4 10.9 9.7
Total 35.0 4.4 12.2 9.7 0.0 9.2 11.7 10.8 33.6 7.6 11.9 10.4
Table S158: Female share in employment of persons aged 15 or older, by major occupational group and area
Occupation Women as % of total Both sex Female

Managers 9.5 11.4 10.7 349 647 996 33 74 107
Professionals 32.4 38.6 35.3 1580 1353 2933 512 522 1035
Technicians and Associate Professionals 15.1 15.1 15.1 575 556 1131 87 84 170
49.1 47.8 49.0 18062 1621 19683 8870 774 9644
Fisheries
Craft and Related Trades Workers 28.1 36.2 31.4 6204 4164 10368 1745 1509 3254
8.8 11.8 9.9 2669 1492 4161 236 176 411
Assembler
Other Occupations 3.7 8.5 5.4 96 56 152 4 5 8
Total 32.1 27.0 30.7 43885 16943 60828 14076 4570 18646
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Table S159: Share of women in wage employment of persons aged 15 or older in the non-agriculture sector, by area
% of women Both sex Women

Occupation Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total Rural Urban Total
Managers 89.5 93.0 91.9 32 74 106 29 69 97
Professionals 83.7 89.3 86.5 505 524 1029 423 468 890
Technicians and Associate Professionals 90.2 91.6 90.9 83 84 166 75 77 151
14.2 16.2 14.5 149 31 180 21 5 26
Fisheries
Craft and Related Trades Workers 46.2 73.8 59.3 1665 1503 3168 770 1109 1879
74.0 85.0 78.9 214 173 387 158 147 305
Assembler
Other occupations 100.0 100.0 100.0 3 5 8 3 5 8
Total 61.4 78.1 69.5 3875 3679 7554 2378 2873 5251
Table S160: Share of women in wage employment of persons aged 15 or older in the non-agriculture sector, by area
Share of women in wage Women in employment Wage employment

Sector employment
Industry 65.8 89.1 77.1 1622 1537 3158 1067 1369 2435
Service 58.2 70.2 64.0 2253 2143 4396 1312 1504 2815
Total 61.4 78.1 69.5 3875 3679 7554 2378 2873 5251
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Table S161: Distribution of employed persons aged 15 or older, by BSIC at 2-digit level, sex and area
(in 000)
BSIC 2 digit level (Industry) Rural Urban Bangladesh
Crop and animal production,
11372 10152 21524 938 899 1837 12310 11051 23361
hunting
Forestry and logging 115 4 119 14 3 17 129 7 136
Fishing and aquaculture 992 64 1056 134 6 140 1125 71 1196
Sub-total 12478 10220 22699 1086 908 1994 13565 11128 24693
Mining of coal and lignite 4 0 4 1 0 1 5 0 5
Extraction of crude petroleum 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Mining of metal ores 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other mining and quarrying 82 3 85 6 1 7 88 4 92
Mining support service activities 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Manufacture of food products 361 104 465 167 52 219 528 156 684
Manufacture of beverages 5 3 8 17 4 21 22 7 29
Manufacture of tobacco products 22 20 42 21 18 38 43 38 81
Manufacture of textiles 600 436 1036 227 146 373 827 582 1409
Manufacture of wearing apparel 895 498 1393 889 1033 1922 1784 1531 3315
(Ready ma
Manufacture of leather and 61 12 72 46 21 67 106 33 139
related produ
Manufacture of wood and 189 169 358 54 39 93 243 207 451
products of wood
Manufacture of paper and paper 19 18 36 19 18 37 38 35 73
products
Printing and reproduction of 25 3 28 24 2 25 49 5 54
recorded me
Manufacture of coke and refined 1 1 3 1 0 1 2 2 4
petroleu
Manufacture of chemicals and 29 2 31 36 9 45 65 11 76
chemical pr
Manufacture of pharmaceuticals, 64 14 78 84 15 99 148 29 177
medicina
Manufacture of rubber and 49 9 58 73 32 106 123 42 164
plastics produ
Manufacture of other non-metallic 390 44 434 75 18 93 465 62 527
minera
Manufacture of basic metals 35 2 37 51 4 55 86 6 92
Manufacture of fabricated metal 140 18 158 150 9 159 290 27 317
products
Manufacture of computer, 4 1 5 11 2 12 14 3 17
electronic and
Manufacture of electrical 32 7 40 34 11 45 67 18 85
equipment
Manufacture of machinery and 6 1 7 4 0 4 10 1 11
equipment n
Manufacture of motor vehicles, 4 0 4 9 0 10 13 0 14
trailers
Manufacture of other transport 30 1 31 9 1 10 39 2 40
equipment
250 | P a g e
Annex-1
(in 000)
Manufacture of furniture 494 41 535 229 13 242 723 54 777
Other manufacturing 88 3 91 82 15 97 169 18 187
Repair and installation of 28 1 29 16 1 16 44 1 45
machinery and
Recycling 1 0 1 2 1 3 3 1 4
Electricity, gas, steam and air 47 3 50 47 5 52 93 9 102
conditio
Water collection, treatment and 4 1 5 7 1 8 12 2 14
supply
Sewerage 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1
Waste collection, treatment and 0 2 2 1 3 3 1 5 5
disposal
Remediation activities and other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
waste m
Construction of buildings 1593 107 1700 716 35 751 2308 142 2451
Civil engineering 254 63 318 82 7 89 336 70 407
Specialized construction activities 272 27 299 260 15 276 532 43 575
Sub-total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 5828 1614 7442 3451 1532 4982 9279 3145 12424
Wholesale and retail trade and 209 14 222 204 9 213 413 22 435
repair of
Wholesale trade, except of motor 897 56 953 641 42 683 1538 98 1636
vehicle
Retail trade, except of motor 3690 310 4000 2388 196 2584 6078 506 6584
vehicles a
Land transport and transport via 3044 117 3160 1614 56 1670 4658 173 4830
pipelin
Water transport 125 8 133 35 2 37 161 9 170
Air transport 1 0 1 7 3 10 8 3 11
Warehousing and support 91 8 99 79 6 85 170 14 184
activities for t
Postal and courier activities 18 3 22 16 3 20 35 6 41
Accommodation 4 11 15 23 9 33 27 21 48
Food and beverage service 568 85 654 378 78 456 947 163 1110
activities
Publishing activities 8 0 8 6 2 8 13 2 16
Motion picture, video and 4 0 4 5 0 5 9 0 9
television pro
Programming and broadcasting 1 1 2 13 2 15 14 3 17
activities
Telecommunications 29 3 32 52 3 55 81 6 87
Computer programming, 3 0 3 11 3 14 13 3 16
consultancy and re
Information service activities 4 1 4 18 0 18 22 1 22
Financial service activities, except 89 16 105 182 42 224 271 58 328
ins
251 | P a g e
Annex-1
(in 000)
Insurance, reinsurance and 16 5 21 34 10 44 50 15 65
pension fundi
Activities auxiliary to financial 6 1 7 15 3 17 21 3 24
servic
Legal and accounting activities 56 4 60 64 11 75 120 15 135
Activities of head offices; 10 0 10 8 1 9 18 1 20
management c
Architectural and engineering 6 2 8 14 1 15 20 2 22
activities
Scientific research and 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 0 2
development
Advertising and market research 4 0 4 11 1 12 15 1 16
Other professional, scientific and 19 2 21 21 1 21 40 3 43
techn
Veterinary activities 24 0 24 6 1 7 30 1 30
Rental and leasing activities 74 8 81 85 6 91 159 13 172
Employment activities 5 0 5 3 1 4 9 1 10
Travel agency, tour operator, 13 2 15 14 1 15 26 4 30
reservatio
Security and investigation 23 1 24 12 0 12 35 1 36
activities
Services to buildings and 3 1 3 1 2 3 4 3 7
landscape acti
Office administrative, office 48 4 52 38 9 47 86 13 99
support an
Public administration and defence; 397 52 448 430 89 519 826 141 967
compu
Education 798 445 1243 496 448 945 1295 893 2188
Human health activities 134 94 227 149 120 269 283 213 496
Residential care activities 2 1 4 1 1 3 3 3 6
Social work activities without 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
accommoda
Creative, arts and entertainment 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1
activit
Libraries, archives, museums and 1 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 3
other c
Gambling and betting activities 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1
Sports activities and amusement 26 10 36 17 5 22 43 15 58
and recr
Activities of membership 279 62 341 114 31 144 393 93 485
organizations
Repair of computers and personal 133 4 137 111 7 118 244 11 255
and hou
Other personal service activities 512 573 1085 259 324 583 771 897 1668
Activities of households as 96 336 432 176 599 775 272 934 1206
employers of
252 | P a g e
Annex-1
(in 000)
Undifferentiated goods and 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
services prod
Activities of extraterritorial 1 0 1 3 0 3 3 1 4
organizat
Sub-total 11503 2242 13744 7836 2131 9967 19338 4372 23711
Total 29809 14076 43885 12372 4570 16943 42182 18646 60828
Table S162: Persons aged 15 or older, by working age population, labour force status, division and sex
(in 000)
Category Sex Barisal Chittagong Dhaka Khulna Rajshahi Rangpur Sylhet Total
Working age Male 2904 9023 18510 6245 7533 6689 3177 54080
population Female 3031 10177 18502 6243 7411 6233 3377 54974
Total 5935 19199 37012 12488 14944 12922 6554 109054
Employed Male 2172 6665 14549 4943 5986 5416 2451 42182
Female 787 3566 5952 2092 3476 2078 695 18646
Total 2958 10232 20501 7034 9462 7494 3146 60828
Unemployed Male 96 200 439 141 205 194 72 1347
Female 75 166 278 159 250 358 44 1330
Total 170 366 717 300 455 552 116 2677
Not in labour force Male 637 2158 3522 1161 1342 1078 654 10551
Female 2170 6444 12272 3993 3684 3797 2638 34998
Total 2807 8602 15794 5153 5026 4876 3292 45549
Table S163: Persons aged 15 or older, by working age population, labour force status, sex and stratum
(in 000)
Division Rural Urban City corporation Bangladesh
Barisal 2339 2450 4789 425 439 864 139 143 282 2904 3031 5935
Chittagong 6190 7093 13283 1489 1631 3120 1343 1453 2796 9023 10177 19199
Dhaka 10823 10696 21519 3310 3360 6670 4378 4445 8823 18510 18502 37012
Khulna 4947 4931 9878 995 1013 2008 303 300 603 6245 6243 12488
Rajshahi 5937 5793 11731 1389 1398 2787 206 220 426 7533 7411 14944
Rangpur 5456 5081 10537 1102 1022 2124 130 131 261 6689 6233 12922
Sylhet 2601 2752 5353 414 441 855 161 184 345 3177 3377 6554
Total 38295 38796 77091 9125 9303 18428 6659 6875 13535 54080 54974 109054
Labour force
Barisal 1830 721 2551 328 100 428 109 41 150 2267 861 3129
Chittagong 4652 2827 7479 1136 487 1624 1076 418 1494 6865 3732 10597
Dhaka 8641 3638 12279 2651 863 3514 3696 1729 5425 14988 6230 21218
Khulna 4047 1898 5945 794 272 1066 243 81 324 5084 2251 7335
Rajshahi 4904 3156 8060 1126 507 1633 161 64 225 6191 3727 9918
Rangpur 4591 2068 6659 918 327 1244 102 40 142 5610 2436 8046
Sylhet 2074 649 2724 325 74 399 124 16 139 2523 739 3262
Total 30739 14957 45696 7278 2630 9909 5512 2388 7900 43528 19976 63504
253 | P a g e
Annex-1
Table S163: Persons aged 15 or older, by working age population, labour force status, sex and stratum
(in 000)
Division Rural Urban City corporation Bangladesh
Employed
Barisal 1758 668 2426 313 89 402 100 29 130 2172 787 2958
Chittagong 4516 2713 7229 1104 453 1557 1046 400 1446 6665 3566 10232
Dhaka 8380 3517 11896 2556 782 3337 3614 1654 5268 14549 5952 20501
Khulna 3934 1776 5710 775 249 1024 234 67 300 4943 2092 7034
Rajshahi 4755 2971 7726 1075 445 1520 155 60 216 5986 3476 9462
Rangpur 4449 1815 6264 871 230 1101 97 33 129 5416 2078 7494
Sylhet 2017 615 2632 310 65 375 123 15 138 2451 695 3146
Total 29809 14076 43885 7004 2312 9316 5368 2258 7626 42182 18646 60828
Unemployed
Barisal 72 53 124 15 11 26 9 11 20 96 75 170
Chittagong 136 114 250 33 34 67 31 18 49 200 166 366
Dhaka 261 121 382 96 81 177 82 75 158 439 278 717
Khulna 113 122 235 19 23 42 10 14 24 141 159 300
Rajshahi 149 185 333 51 62 113 6 3 9 205 250 455
Rangpur 142 253 396 46 97 143 5 8 13 194 358 552
Sylhet 57 34 91 14 9 24 1 1 1 72 44 116
Total 929 882 1811 274 318 592 143 130 273 1347 1330 2677
Not in labour force
Barisal 510 1729 2239 97 339 436 30 102 132 637 2170 2807
Chittagong 1538 4266 5804 353 1143 1496 267 1035 1301 2158 6444 8602
Dhaka 2182 7058 9241 658 2498 3156 681 2716 3397 3522 12272 15794
Khulna 900 3033 3933 201 741 942 59 219 279 1161 3993 5153
Rajshahi 1034 2638 3671 263 891 1154 45 156 201 1342 3684 5026
Rangpur 865 3012 3878 185 695 880 28 90 119 1078 3797 4876
Sylhet 527 2103 2630 90 367 457 37 168 206 654 2638 3292
Total 7556 23839 31395 1847 6673 8520 1148 4487 5635 10551 34998 45549
254 | P a g e
Annexure-2
Standard errors of the estimates

Table SE1: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by division)
Division Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Standard Error Lower bound Upper bound
Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Barisal 2958379 170703 2623487 3293272
Chittagong 10231555 343406 9557845 10905265
Dhaka 20501243 532570 19456424 21546062
Khulna 7034365 265502 6513491 7555238
Rajshahi 9462393 285327 8902626 10022160
Rangpur 7493958 284976 6934880 8053037
Sylhet 3145718 160133 2831562 3459873
Table SE2: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by sex)
Sex Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Male 42181767 544564 41113417 43250117
Female 18645844 386250 17888081 19403606
Table SE3: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by locality)
Locality Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Rural 43885067 704519 42502912 45267223
Urban 9316246 302803 8722195 9910298
City corporation 7626297 318463 7001522 8251072
Table SE4: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by area)
Area Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Rural 43885067 704519 42502912 45267223
Urban 16942543 439441 16080429 17804658
Table SE5: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by education attainment)
Education attainment Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
No primary schooling 19375718 432625 18526975 20224460
Some or completed primary 15699079 264485 15180200 16217958
Secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary 22347418 390627 21581067 23113768
Tertiary 3208513 158789 2896993 3520032
Not specified 196884 27983 141986 251782
255 | P a g e
Annexure-2
Table SE6: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by stratum)
Stratum Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Rural 43885067 704519 42502912 45267223
Barisal Urban 9316246 302803 8722195 9910298
Rural 2426440 166778 2099247 2753633
Barisal Urban 402399 36173 331433 473366
Rural 7229354 307454 6626178 7832530
Chittagong Urban 1556687 102608 1355387 1757988
Rural 11896455 403893 11104079 12688830
Dhaka Urban 3337053 179590 2984725 3689382
Rural 5710355 258893 5202448 6218262
Khulna Urban 1023664 58214 909457 1137872
Rural 7726261 275567 7185641 8266882
Rajshahi Urban 1520316 72905 1377287 1663344
Rural 6263779 208280 5855165 6672392
Rangpur Urban 1101049 194450 719569 1482529
Rural 2632424 156623 2325155 2939693
Sylhet Urban 375077 32940 310455 439700
Table SE7: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by age group)
Broad age group Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
15-24 9686997 199837 9294948 10079046
25-29 8265493 156921 7957638 8573348
30-64 40423054 538852 39365911 41480197
65+ 2452067 61170 2332061 2572073
Table SE8: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by occupation)
Occupation (ISCO-2008) Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Managers 995939 68491 861570 1130309
Professionals 2932627 118145 2700845 3164410
Technicians and Associate Professionals 1131145 41732 1049273 1213018
Clerical Support Workers 896163 39528 818616 973710
Service and Sales Workers 10022815 225849 9579735 10465895
Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries 19682834 463837 18772857 20592811
Craft and Related Trades Workers 10368474 307072 9766046 10970903
Plant and Machine Operators, and Assembler 4160951 113511 3938260 4383642
Elementary Occupations 10485123 227558 10038688 10931557
Other occupations 151538 29602 93465 209612
256 | P a g e
Annexure-2
Table SE9: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by industry)
BSIC Industry (ISIC Rev 4) Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 24692559 544417 23624497 25760622
Mining and quarrying 97378 20001 58140 136617
Manufacturing 8772338 331246 8122486 9422190
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioner 101967 11932 78558 125375
Water supply, sewerage, waste management 20111 3621 13007 27215
Construction 3432344 114057 3208581 3656106
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor 8655578 201372 8260517 9050639
Transportation and storage 5236801 132757 4976353 5497249
Accommodation and food service activities 1157926 45337 1068982 1246871
Information and communication 167514 15793 136530 198498
Financial and insurance activities 417824 35225 348719 486929
Real estate activities 112802 17032 79389 146216
Professional, scientific and technical a 268685 16878 235572 301798
Administrative and support service activities 353127 19999 313891 392363
Public administration and defense 967329 67225 835443 1099214
Education 2187866 73132 2044393 2331339
Human health and social work activities 502805 36025 432130 573479
Arts, entertainment and recreation 63191 21508 20996 105387
Other service activities 2408414 72871 2265453 2551376
Activities of households as employers, u 1207113 78416 1053272 1360953
Activities of extraterritorial organization 3939 1212 1561 6316
Table SE10: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by sector of employment)
Sector of employment Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval
Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Agriculture 24692559 544417 23624497 25760622
Industry 12424137 362593 11712785 13135489
Service 23710914 450156 22827779 24594049
Table SE11: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by age group)
Age group Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval
Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
15-19 3903653 95140 3717004 4090302
20-24 5783344 124856 5538396 6028292
25-29 8265493 156921 7957638 8573348
30-34 8443434 145162 8158649 8728219
35-39 8730485 139059 8457673 9003298
40-44 6504297 108429 6291577 6717017
45-49 6200890 107113 5990750 6411029
50-54 4515931 84829 4349511 4682352
55-59 3645917 77131 3494597 3797237
60-64 2382100 53774 2276604 2487596
65 + 2452067 61170 2332061 2572073
Table SE12: Standard errors of the estimates (Employed persons 15 years or older by informality status)
Informality status Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval
Bangladesh 60827611 830334 59198625 62456597
Formal employment 9093514 246932 8609073 9577955
Informal employment 51734097 747643 50267338 53200856
257 | P a g e
Annexure-2
UNEMPLOYED
Table SE13: Standard errors of the estimates (Unemployed persons 15 years or older by division)

Bangladesh 2676685 121259 2438747 2914623
Barisal 170183 28748 113772 226594
Chittagong 365699 39422 288345 443054
Dhaka 717089 37448 643608 790571
Khulna 300422 23179 254938 345905
Rajshahi 455366 41388 374152 536580
Rangpur 551800 91944 371384 732215
Sylhet 116126 14726 87230 145022
Table SE14: Standard errors of the estimates (Unemployed persons 15 years or older by sex)

Bangladesh 2676685 121259 2438747 2914623
Male 1346719 46633 1255214 1438223
Female 1329966 89636 1154078 1505854
Table SE15: Standard errors of the estimates (Unemployed persons 15 years or older by locality)

Bangladesh 2676685 121259 2438747 2914623
Rural 1811062 87483 1639400 1982723
Urban 592305 82188 431033 753576
Table SE16: Standard errors of the estimates (Unemployed persons 15 years or older by area)

Bangladesh 2676685 121259 2438747 2914623
Rural 1811062 87483 1639400 1982723
Urban 865623 83967 700860 1030386
Table SE17: Standard errors of the estimates (Unemployed persons 15 years or older by education attainment)

Bangladesh 2676685 121259 2438747 2914623
Tertiary 405175 27378 351452 458898
Not specified 9415 2371 4762 14068
258 | P a g e
Annexure-2
Table SE18: Standard errors of the estimates (Unemployed persons 15 years or older by stratum)

Bangladesh Rural 2676685 121259 2438747 2914623
Urban 1811062 87483 1639400 1982723
Barisal Rural 273319 17194 239579 307058
Urban 124244 28205 68900 179588
Chittagong Rural 20371 2902 14677 26065
Urban 249816 35634 179893 319738
Dhaka Rural 48676 4345 40149 57203
Urban 382096 24252 334508 429685
Khulna Rural 157713 15823 126664 188761
Urban 234574 22084 191239 277908
Rajshahi Rural 23524 3837 15996 31052
Urban 333449 35617 263561 403337
Rangpur Rural 9189 889 7445 10932
Urban 395646 55131 287467 503826
City corporation 143381 73565 -972 287734
Sylhet Rural 12773 1535 9761 15785
Urban 91237 14286 63203 119270
Table SE19: Standard errors of the estimates (Unemployed persons 15 years or older by broad age group)
Broad age group Estimate Linearized 95% Confidence Interval

Bangladesh 2676685 121259 2438747 2914623
15-24 1358498 59298 1242141 1474854
25-29 772272 46895 680253 864291
30-64 545915 33911 479373 612457
259 | P a g e
Annexure-2
LABOUR FORCE
Table SE20: Standard errors of the estimates (Labour force persons 15 years or older by division)

Bangladesh 63504296 882549 61772873 65235719
Barisal 3128562 176786 2781735 3475390
Chittagong 10597255 360339 9890326 11304183
Dhaka 21218332 549525 20140249 22296415
Khulna 7334786 270454 6804198 7865375
Rajshahi 9917759 302744 9323822 10511696
Rangpur 8045758 354336 7350606 8740909
Sylhet 3261844 159574 2948785 3574902
Table SE21: Standard errors of the estimates (Labour force persons 15 years or older by sex)

Bangladesh 63504296 882549 61772873 65235719
Male 43052562 501292 42069104 44036019
Female 19064286 359201 18359589 19768983
Table SE22: Standard errors of the estimates (Labour force persons 15 years or older by locality)
Bangladesh 63504296 882549 61772873 65235719
Rural 44820341 653436 43538402 46102280
Urban 9513461 238487 9045586 9981336
Table SE23: Standard errors of the estimates (Labour force persons 15 years or older by area)

Bangladesh 63504296 882549 61772873 65235719
Rural 44820341 653436 43538402 46102280
Urban 17296507 403395 16505108 18087905
Table SE24: Standard errors of the estimates (Labour force persons 15 years or older by education attainment)

Bangladesh 63504296 882549 61772873 65235719
Tertiary 3481148 159637 3167964 3794332
Not specified 103381 13885 76141 130621
260 | P a g e
Annexure-2
Table SE25: Standard errors of the estimates (Labour force persons 15 years or older by stratum)

Bangladesh 63504296 882549 61772873 65235719
Urban 434364 31907 371767 496961
Barisal Rural 2558976 113969 2335388 2782565
Urban 434364 31907 371767 496961
Urban 434364 31907 371767 496961
Dhaka Rural 7032918 294271 6455605 7610231
Urban 1534002 93965 1349658 1718347
Khulna Rural 11533385 351419 10843957 12222814
Urban 3388365 176227 3042635 3734095
Rajshahi Rural 6183899 235793 5721310 6646487
Urban 1137196 68440 1002926 1271465
Rangpur Rural 8053147 269139 7525139 8581154
Urban 1577488 74149 1432020 1722955
Sylhet Rural 6699724 224605 6259083 7140364
Urban 1045299 69304 909335 1181262
Table SE26: Standard errors of the estimates (Labour force persons 15 years or older by age group)
Bangladesh 63504296 882549 61772873 65235719
15-19 4844816 102337 4644048 5045585
20-24 6896618 122244 6656795 7136442
25-29 9056879 146368 8769729 9344029
30-34 8183681 126146 7936203 8431159
35-39 8235952 124989 7990743 8481161
40-44 6376366 103043 6174212 6578520
45-49 5946052 94992 5759692 6132412
50-54 4258153 74419 4112155 4404150
55-59 3426713 65192 3298816 3554611
60-64 2342651 49028 2246465 2438837
65 + 2548966 56831 2437473 2660459
261 | P a g e
Annexure-2
NOT IN LABOUR FORCE
Table SE27: Standard errors of the estimates (Not in labour force persons 15 years or older by division)

Bangladesh 45549330 656016 44262330 46836331
Barisal 2806645 94361 2621523 2991767
Chittagong 8601881 368338 7879260 9324502
Dhaka 15793905 407662 14994135 16593674
Khulna 5153463 166055 4827690 5479236
Rajshahi 5025785 138728 4753623 5297948
Rangpur 4875818 248795 4387720 5363916
Sylhet 3291833 104272 3087268 3496399
Table SE28: Standard errors of the estimates (Not in labour force persons 15 years or older by sex)
Bangladesh 45549330 656016 44262330 46836331
Male 10551018 182160 10193649 10908387
Female 34998312 514203 33989526 36007099
Table SE29: Standard errors of the estimates (Not in labour force persons 15 years or older by locality)

Bangladesh 45549330 656016 44262330 46836331
Rural 31394805 531467 30352150 32437460
Urban 8519539 277479 7975168 9063909
Table SE30: Standard errors of the estimates (Not in labour force persons 15 years or older by Area)

Bangladesh 45549330 656016 44262330 46836331
Rural 31394805 531467 30352150 32437460
Urban 14154525 384577 13400045 14909005
Table SE31: Standard errors of the estimates (Not in labour force persons 15 years or older by education attainment)

Bangladesh 45549330 656016 44262330 46836331
Tertiary 939843 68297 805855 1073831
Not specified 220718 20524 180454 260982
Table SE32: Standard errors of the estimates (Not in labour force persons 15 years or older by stratum)
262 | P a g e
Annexure-2

Bangladesh 45549330 656016 44262330 46836331
Urban 8519539 277479 7975168 9063909
Barisal Rural 2238718 90656 2060864 2416571
Urban 435909 25467 385947 485871
Urban 1496267 119187 1262441 1730093
Dhaka Rural 9240571 281414 8688481 9792661
Urban 3155843 157289 2847266 3464419
Khulna Rural 3932973 155263 3628370 4237575
Urban 941774 58266 827465 1056083
Rajshahi Rural 3671203 126591 3422851 3919555
Urban 1153590 55874 1043973 1263206
Rangpur Rural 3877507 180864 3522680 4232334
Urban 879577 170759 544574 1214580
Sylhet Rural 2629684 95439 2442447 2816920
Urban 456580 41534 375096 538064
Table SE33: Standard errors of the estimates (Not in labour force persons 15 years or older by age group)

Bangladesh 45549330 656016 44262330 46836331
15-19 10248484 172494 9910077 10586891
20-24 6147641 121170 5909924 6385358
25-29 4774193 92584 4592558 4955828
30-34 3585827 84187 3420665 3750990
35-39 3338759 79530 3182734 3494784
40-44 2570175 61074 2450356 2689993
45-49 2662994 66125 2533267 2792722
50-54 2314506 53586 2209379 2419632
55-59 2227377 53354 2122705 2332049
60-64 2216196 50506 2117110 2315281
65 + 5463178 108428 5250460 5675897
263 | P a g e
Annexure-2
Table SE34: Standard errors of the estimates (mean income in take- in last month by category)
Category Mean monthly Linearized Standard 95% Confidence Interval

Income Error Lower bound Upper bound
Bangladesh 13263 226 12821 13706
Male 13586 244 13108 14065
Female 12264 218 11836 12692
Rural 11613 96 11426 11801
Urban 14923 314 14306 15539
Rural Male 11714 101 11515 11912
Rural Female 11211 152 10912 11510
Urban Male 17106 639 15853 18359
Urban Female 13336 405 12541 14131
Table SE35: Standard errors of the estimates (mean actual hours worked in last week by category)
Category Average weekly Linearized Standard 95% Confidence Interval

hours worked Error Lower bound Upper bound
Bangladesh 48.0 0.192 47.6 48.4
Male 52.3 0.180 52.0 52.7
Female 38.2 0.278 37.7 38.8
Rural 46.1 0.230 45.7 46.6
Urban 50.7 0.377 49.9 51.4
City corporation 55.5 0.325 54.9 56.1
Rural Male 51.2 0.226 50.7 51.6
Rural Female 35.5 0.293 35.0 36.1
Urban Male 55.2 0.256 54.7 55.7
Urban Female 46.5 0.467 45.6 47.4
264 | P a g e
40.6%
39.0% 20.4%
L
F S
For more information :
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS)
LMIS Project
Parishankhyan Bhaban (Level-4, Block-B)
E-27/A,Agargaon, Dhaka-1207
Phone : 880-2-8181268
Email : [email protected]
www.bbs.gov.bd, www.sid.gov.bd

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Report on

Labour Force Survey

Improving of Labour Statistics and Labour Market

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics

Compose and Format:

For further information about this book or other statistics

This report provides detailed statistics on labour force, employment, unemployment,non-economic

Kabir Uddin Ahmed

Key findings of the survey xi

Chapter 5. Economic activities and the labour force 37-44

Chapter 11. Working hours and time-related underemployment 91-102

Table S12: Distribution of the population, by sex and quarter 166

Table S17: Distribution of employment by age group and quarter 168

Table S18: Distribution of employment by sex and quarter 168

Table S19: Distribution of employment by occupation and quarter 168

Table S21: Distribution of labour force status by quarter 169

Table S23: Distribution of labour force by quarter and locality 169

Table S25: Distribution of employed population by quarter and locality 170

Table S26: Distribution of unemployed population by quarter and locality 170

Table S27: Distribution of labour force by quarter and sex 170

Table S29: Distribution of employed population by quarter and sex 171

Table S30: Distribution of unemployed population by quarter and sex 171

Table S31: Distribution of employed population by quarter and sector 171

Table S32: Distribution of employed population by quarter and industry 172

Table S33: Distribution of distribution of employed persons by 172

1 Labour Force (million)

During the survey period the country’s total estimated

The survey findings place the labour force participation rate of

An estimated 60.8 million of the population aged 15 or older was

In rural areas, 88.0 per cent of the employed are in informal

The survey found an estimated 2.7 million persons aged 15 or

More than 20.1 million youth aged 15-29 participated in the

In urban areas, managers earned the highest average monthly

It is evident from the survey that the number of females were

According to the survey findings, the largest share of female

1.3 Classifications used for labour statistics

Labour force status:

2.1 Scope and coverage

2.2 Survey organization

2.3 The sample frame

2.4 Sample size determination

Table 1: Number of households, sample sizes and expected margins of error

Total Bangladesh 31,846,908 30,816 0.26%

First sampling stage

Second sampling stage and rotational scheme

Quarter 01 (July-September 2015): Blocks A B - - E F

2.5 Data collection

2.7 Training of survey personnel

Labour force participation rate

Current economic activity

The measurement of time-related underemployment is considered an integral part of the framework

Potential labour force

Labour force participation rate

Employment to population ratio

3.1 Population characteristics

Chart 3.1: Population Pyramid by age group and sex

-40.0 -30.0 -20.0 -10.0 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0

3.2 Dependency ratio

Table 3.3 Dependency ratio of the population, by sex and area

3.3 Female-headed households and household size