The Ministry of Public Service and Labour is conducting a new national manpower survey that will determine the make-up of the country’s labour market.

In an interview with The New Times, Anna Mugabo, the Director General of Labour and Employment in the ministry, said the country needs reliable labour statistics on the workforce, covering both qualitative and quantitative aspects.

The move follows a directive from East African Ministers of Labour and aims at facilitating integration of labour in the region and enhancing appropriate planning for jobs creation.

"All the partner states are currently conducting similar surveys with an aim of establishing each member’s potential skills so that there can be exchange of skills between the East African members,” said Mugabo.

The new survey will also avail data for policy formulation and decision making on labour, free movement of persons, services, right of establishment and residence, she added.

The survey, which started in January, will take 19 months, with an additional five months for setting up of human resource data base.

The PS further noted the survey will contain detailed information on the current employment and unemployment rates in the country and data on education and training institutions.

According to the ministry, the current manpower statistics lack detailed information.
"We don’t know how many people are in the formal and informal sector, the previously conducted survey didn’t go into labour market issues,” Mugabo noted.

She added that the study will determine the number of vacancies available and demand on the labour market. It will also cover skills available in the Diaspora Community

The household demographic survey which was conducted in 2006 put unemployment rate at 1.5 percent and employment at 81.6 percent. However, Mugabo said the survey was not properly carried out, saying the rate of unemployment is higher contrary to what the survey showed.

"These people who were carrying out the survey considered casual labourers and other people with temporary jobs among the employed people, which is not right,” said Mugabo.

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