& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Women constitute 61.6 pc of labour force

By Staff Correspondent
The number of women and child labourers has increased substantially In the country, according to latest figures released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
Of the total labour force in the country, women constitute 61.6 per cent and children of 5-14 years age 12 per cent By definition, total labour force consists of the civilian labour force and members of armed forces on active duty.
Report on Labour Force Survey of BBS says that for in-
cluding certain agricultural activities like threshing, par; boiling, care of poultry, livestock etc, the total labour force In the country Increased from 30.9 million In 1985-86 to 50.1 million in 1989 and the participation rate stood at 71.6 per cent in 1989 while it was 44.0 per cent In 1985-86.
The size of the child labour force In the country Increased to 6.1 million In 1989 from 2.8 million in 1985-86.
The BBS, for the first time.
took Into consideration some of the agricultural activities performed by women as economic activities for which the female participation rate stood at 61.6 per cent at the national and 67.4 per cent at the rural level in 1989. It was 9.4 and 8.7 per cent tn 1985-86 and in 1984-85 respectively.
According to the report, because of entry of rural females Into agriculture based economic activities, the employment in agriculture shows a sharp increase from 17.5 million in 1985-86 to 37.0 million in 1989.
Of the major occupations of the labour force in the country, fastest growth rates have been observed in professional and technical, administrative and managerial, clerical workers, sales workers and service workers which grew at annual rates of 19.4, 24.9, 22.1, 19.8 and 19.0 per cent respectively. However, highest number of both men and women are employed tn agricultural occupations.
The report shows that only 12.7 per cent of the country’s labour force works 45 to 49 hours a week while 19.8 per cent works less than 15 hours, and 6.5 per cent works more than 70 hours.
On an average. 84.6 per cent of the male and 17 per cent of the female workers are adequately utilized meaning they work 40 hours or more a week.
The average weekly earnings for both sexes of workers stood at Taka 423, while for men It is Taka 477 and for women Taka 202.
According to the survey, of the 31 million children. 6.1 million were economically active. Children. 5-9 years old. worked as labourers and their number was 1.9 million approximately Of the total popu latfon aged 5-9 years. 17.4 million were economically inactive. The report further shows that 85.3 per cent of total rural child labourers are working In agriculture whereas 60.2 per cent of urban child labourers are working In non-agricultural sector. Child labourers dominate in agriculture. forestry and fishing sector.
Of the people having degree and above level education. 3.9 per cent are unemployed, of whom 2 3 per cent are men and 16 9 per cent are women