Employment distribution worldwide in 2022

Key takeaways:

  • The industry sector accounted for the smallest portion of global employment in 2022.
  • Around 50 percent of the worldwide workforce is involved in the service sector.
  • On a global scale, the disparity between the agriculture and industry sectors is slight.
  • The sector with the largest share of employment globally is the service sector.

As of 2022, the services sector accounted for the largest share of employment across economic activities, comprising approximately 50 percent of global jobs. The agriculture sector represented around 26 percent of total employment, while the industry sector comprised about 24 percent. The global breakdown of employment by sector indicated that the industrial sector accounts for the smallest share of global employment.

Source:

World Development Indicators

Period:

2022
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India and China alone represent about 40% of the world’s total labour force
  • China (773M) and India (607M) together make up for about 40% of the world’s total labour force.
  • Nigeria ranks 5th globally with 113 million workers, the largest in Africa and only African country in the top 10.
  • Asia dominates, accounting for over 47% of global workers, highlighting the region’s population and production strength.
  • The U.S.A. (174M) ranks third, representing just about 5% of global labour but producing almost a quarter of global GDP, proving productivity, not size, drives wealth.
The 2023 total labour force in Africa
  • Africa's labour force continues to grow significantly, with several countries exceeding 10 million workers in 2023.
  • South Africa, despite its developed economy, has a labour force of 27 million, ranking below Tanzania and Egypt.
  • Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo have the largest labour forces in Africa.
  • East Africa remains a major hub, with Kenya and Uganda featuring prominently in the top ten.
Distribution of workforce in Nigeria, 2022
Key takeaways:
  • Economic activities are categorised into three sectors.
  • The services sector is the largest employer of labour.
  • The data indicates that Nigeria's economy is primarily service-based.
  • The industry sector comprises of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities.
Employment distribution in sub-Saharan Africa (2022)
Key takeaways:
  • The predominant share of sub-Saharan Africa's workforce is engaged in agriculture.
  • In 2022, over 50% of the workforce in sub-Saharan Africa was employed in the Agriculture sector.
  • Employment levels in the Industry sector were significantly lower compared to Agriculture and Services.
  • Approximately 37% of employees in sub-Saharan Africa were in the Service industry.
Madagascar leads Africa in female workforce participation rate at 83%
Madagascar, Burundi, and Mozambique lead Africa in female workforce participation, with rates above the global average of 48%. The 2024 estimate ranks Nigeria 30th in Africa, with a female labour force participation rate of 52%.
Madagascar leads Africa with 85% of its working-age population actively participating in the labour force
At least 80% of adults in Madagascar, Tanzania, and Ethiopia who can work are employed or actively seeking jobs. Across Africa, 63% of working-age people are engaged in the workforce. However, in Algeria, Morocco, and Djibouti, participation is below 45%.
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