Jobless rate drops by 1.1%

According to latest figures from Statistics Mauritius, the unemployment rate has dropped by 1.1 percentage points during the first three months of the year. Compared to the figures for the same period last year, where the jobless rate stood at 8.7 per cent, the beginning of 2016 augurs well with the jobless rate falling to 7.6 per cent. For the whole year 2016, the proportion of people out of work would reach 7.7 per cent. During Q1 2016, male unemployment rate decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 4.9% while female unemployment rate remained at the same level of 11.7%. From first quarter 2015 to first quarter 2016, employment decreased by 900 to 528,200; male employment increased by 4,300 to 330,300 while female employment decreased by 5,200 to 197,900. Similarly, as compared to the fourth quarter of 2015, the total number of unemployed persons decreased by 3,100. The decrease were registered among both males (-2,500) and females (-600). From fourth quarter 2015 to first quarter 2016, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage point with a decrease of 0.6 percentage point in male unemployment rate and an increase of 0.2 percentage point in female unemployment rate. 26,300 females unemployed The report further states that the 43,500 unemployed comprised of 17,200 males (40%) and 26,300 females (60%). Around 24,100 (55%) of the unemployed were single. Among males the majority (79%) was single compared to 40% among the females. Some 4,300 or 10% had not reached the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) level or equivalent and a further 16,200 (37%) did not have the Cambridge School Certificate (SC) or equivalent. At the first quarter 2016, youth unemployed aged 16 to 24 years numbered 18,700 (8,500 males and 10,200 females) compared to 23,300 (11,200 males and 12,100 females) at the corresponding quarter of 2015 and 22,100 (10,000 males and 12,100 females) at the previous quarter.