Chapter 7. Employment and Economic Activity

CHAPTER 7: EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 72

The following pages present information on employment and economic activities in the Gambia in 2003. Overall, forty-five percent of Gambia’s economically active population were employed in 2003. Forty-seven percent of those employed were engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry; 14% in services, shops and market and 15% in wholesale and retail. Dependency rate is higher in urban than rural areas, although majority of rural residents are engaged in agriculture and animal hus- bandry.

In all regions, there were more females than males engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry although they are less represented in other occupations. Low literacy rate, combined with lower incidence of migration to urban centers, means that most females who, left in the village have little choice but agriculture and animal husbandry as a main occupation and source of livelihood.

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CHAPTER 7: EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 73

Percentage of employed population Employment of the economically active by Industry and gender in 2003 1. Agriculture and Animal Husbanday population in 2003 70.0 2. Fisheries 3. Manufacturing Forty-five percent of the economically active population 60.0 4. Electricity, Gas and Water reported being employed. The economically active 5. Constriction 50.0 6. Wholesale & Retail Trade population includes all persons 7 years and over. 7. Hotel & Restaurants 40.0 8. Transportation, Storage & Agriculture and animal husbandry is the largest employer Communication engaging forty-nine percent followed by wholesale and 30.0 9. Financial Ist. Bus. Services 10. Community, Social & Personal Service retail trade (15%). Employment in manufacturing 20.0 11. Industry Not Stated accounts for only 5% of the total employed. 10.0 0.0 1234567891011

Males Females

Kilometers Employment by Industry 0306015 4

Fisheries 1% Percentage of economically active Manufacturing 5% Electricity, Gas & Water 2% population employed in 2003

Construction 4% 60 - 69

Agriculture and Animal 50 - 60 Husbandry 47% Wholesale & 45 - 50 Retail Trade 15% National total = 45% 32 - 45 Hotels & Restaurants 2% Transport, Storage & Communication 5% Population data: The Gambia Population and Housing Census 2003 District boundary data: The Gambia 50000 dataset. Department Financial Inst. Bus. Services 1% of State for Local Government and Lands, 2001. Not Stated 6% Community, Social & Personal Service 12%

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CHAPTER 7: EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 74

Population employed in agriculture Percentage of the employed population in agriculture and animal husbandry and animal husbandry in 2003 100 Forty-seven percent of the employed population were 90 80 engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry in 2003 70 60 with considerable regional variation. In Central River 50 and Upper River Divisions over 75% percent of the 40 30 employed population are engaged in agriculture. Within 20 10 Greater Banjul and Brikama LGA, the two most 0

urbanized districts less than 25% of the employed l r u g a o n h e j n k a u e s n i m a r if n w t s population were in agriculture and animal husbandry. In a a o u a n k e n b B a i k r u B r a e n K K all districts, more women than men are engaged in B s K ja n n a a agriculture. M J Male Female

Kilometers 0306015 4

Districts with highest and lowest percentage of their employed Percentage of the employed population in population in agriculture and animal husbandry agriculture and animal husbandry in 2003 % in % in *National total = 47% District Agric. District Agric. greater than 85% 75 - 85 Banjul South 1 Sami 91 65 - 75 Banjul Central 1 Upper Saloum 92 50 - 65 25 - 50* Banjul North 1 Sandu 92 less than 25%

Kanifing Municipality 3 Nianija 95 Population data: The Gambia Population and Housing Census 2003 Kombo North 16 Niamina Dankunku 95 District boundary data: The Gambia 50000 dataset. Department 74 of State for Local Government and Lands, 2001.

CHAPTER 7: EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 75

Dependency Rate in 2003 by LGA Dependency Rate in 2003 70.1 67.8 Dependency rate is the percentage of dependent 62.3 61.5 61.3 58.4 59.0 persons in the population. Dependent persons are 54.1 those too young to work (under 15 years) and those too old to work (65 years and over). At the national level, 65 percent of the population is identified as dependant, a decrease from 68% in 1993. Dependency rate is higher in urban than rural areas. Brikama LGA has the highest dependency rate ul o (70.1). an sse anj fing ama B ni ik konk ew Ba er untaur Ka Br K K Mansa Janjanbureh

Kilometers 4 0306015

Percentage of dependent population to total population National rate = 65% Districts with highest and lowest dependency rates. greater than 70% Dependency Dependency 65 - 70 District Rate District Rate 60 - 65 Upper Saloum 51.20 Foni Kansala 68.87 55 - 60 Niamina Dankunku 51.71 Foni Bondali 69.49 less than 55% Nianija 55.02 Foni Bintang Karanai 70.58 Population data: The Gambia Population and Housing Census 2003 Sami 55.19 Kombo North 70.59 District boundary data: The Gambia 50000 dataset. Department Kiang Central 56.38 Kombo Central 74.29 of State for Local Government and Lands, 2001. 75