The CIA World Factbook Edition 1996 Economy
Labor force In 36 editions of 36.
Labor force was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 1996 edition carries it in 235 entries, in its Economy section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 1996 edition
- 235
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Labor force” (1990 to 2025).
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Entries with Labor force in each edition
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World
1 entryAfrica
57 entriesBenin
1.9 million (1987)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%
Botswana
428,000 (1992)
- by occupation:
- 220,000 formal sector employees;
- 14,300 are employed in various mines in South Africa;
- most others are engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1992 est.)
Burkina Faso
NA (most adults are employed in subsistence agriculture)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 80%, industry 15%, commerce, services, and government 5%
note: 20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (1984)
Central African Republic
775,413 (1986 est.)
- by occupation:
note: about 64,000 salaried workers (1985)
Congo now Republic of the Congo
79,100 wage earners
- by occupation:
- agriculture 75%, commerce, industry, and government 25%
Cote d'Ivoire
5.718 million
- by occupation:
- over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, forestry, livestock raising;
- about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions
Egypt
16 million (1994 est.)
- by occupation:
- government, public sector enterprises, and armed forces 36%, agriculture 34%, privately owned service and manufacturing enterprises 20% (1984)
note: shortage of skilled labor; 2.5 million Egyptians work abroad, mostly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states (1993 est.)
Swaziland now Eswatini
160,355 (1986 est.)
- by occupation:
- private sector about 65%, public sector 35%
The Gambia
400,000 (1986 est.)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government 6.1%
Ghana
3.7 million
- by occupation:
- agriculture and fishing 54.7%, industry 18.7%, sales and clerical 15.2%, professional 3.7%, services, transportation, and communications 7.7%
Guinea-Bissau
403,000 (est.)
- by occupation:
- agriculture 90%, industry, services, and commerce 5%, government 5%
Lesotho
689,000 economically active
- by occupation:
- 86.2% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 60% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa
Liberia
510,000 including 220,000 in the monetary economy
- by occupation:
note: non-African foreigners hold about 95% of the top-level management and engineering jobs
Madagascar
- total workers:
- 4.9 million
- workers not receiving money wages:
- 4.7 million (96% of total labor force); note - 4.3 million workers are in subsistence agriculture
- wage earners:
- 175,400 (3.6% of total work force)
- wage earners by occupation:
- agriculture 45,500, domestic service 29,750, industry 26,250, commerce 24,500, construction 19,250, service 15,750, transportation 10,500, other 3,500 (1985 est.)
Nigeria
42.844 million
- by occupation:
- agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%
Saint Helena now Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
2,416 (1991 est.)
- by occupation:
- professional, technical, and related workers 8.7%, managerial, administrative, and clerical 12.8%, sales people 8.1%, farmer, fishermen, etc. 5.4%, craftspersons, production process workers 14.7%, others 50.3% (1987)
note: a large proportion of the work force has left to seek employment overseas
Sao Tome and Principe
most of population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of plantation labor and of skilled workers
Senegal
2.509 million (77% are engaged in subsistence farming; 175,000 wage earners)
- by occupation:
- private sector 40%, government and parapublic 60%
Seychelles
27,700 (1985)
- by occupation:
- industry and commerce 31%, services 21%, government 20%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 12%, other 16% (1985)
Somalia
- 3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)(1993 est.)
- by occupation:
- agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29%
Sudan
8.9 million (1993 est.)
- by occupation:
note: labor shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.)
Zambia
3.4 million
- by occupation:
- agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport and services 9%
Arctic Region
3 entriesAsia
22 entriesBangladesh
50.1 million
- by occupation:
note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
Japan
65.87 million (December 1994)
- by occupation:
- trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3%, other 3% (1988)
Korea, South now South Korea
20 million
- by occupation:
- services and other 52%,
- mining and manufacturing 27%,
- agriculture,
- fishing,
- forestry 21% (1991)
Mongolia
1.115 million (mid-1993 est.)
- by occupation:
- primarily herding/agricultural
note: over half the adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled labor
Central America and the Caribbean
31 entriesBarbados
126,000 (1993)
- by occupation:
- services and government 41%, commerce 15%, manufacturing and construction 18%, transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 8%, agriculture 6%, utilities 2% (1992 est.)
Belize
51,500
- by occupation:
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1985)
Cuba
4.71 million economically active population (1989); 3,527,000 employed in state civilian sector (1989)
- by occupation:
Montserrat
5,100
- by occupation:
- community, social, and personal services 40.5%, construction 13.5%, trade, restaurants, and hotels 12.3%, manufacturing 10.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 8.8%, other 14.4% (1983 est.)
Panama
979,000 (1994 est.)
- by occupation:
- government and community services 31.8%, agriculture, hunting, and fishing 26.8%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 16.4%, manufacturing and mining 9.4%, construction 3.2%, transportation and communications 6.2%, finance, insurance, and real estate 4.3%
note: shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
67,000 (1984 est.)
- by occupation:
- agriculture,
- industry,
- services,
- other (1980 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
404,500
- by occupation:
- construction and utilities 13%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 11%, services 62% (1993 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
4,848 (1990 est.)
- by occupation:
- majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence agriculture
Europe
46 entriesAlbania
1.692 million (1994 est.) (including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed)
- by occupation (of those domestically employed):
Austria
3.47 million (1989)
- by occupation:
note: an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European countries; foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 5% of labor force (1988)
Denmark
2,553,900
- by occupation:
- private services 37.1%, government services 30.4%, manufacturing and mining 20%, construction 6.3%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5.6%, electricity/gas/water 0.6% (1991)
Faroe Islands
17,585
- by occupation:
- largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Finland
2.533 million
- by occupation:
- public services 30.4%, industry 20.9%, commerce 15.0%, finance, insurance, and business services 10.2%, agriculture and forestry 8.6%, transport and communications 7.7%, construction 7.2%
Gibraltar
14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
note: UK military establishments and civil government employ nearly 50% of the labor force
Holy See (Vatican City)
NA
- by occupation:
- dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers who live outside the Vatican
Hungary
4.8 million (1995)
- by occupation:
- services, trade, government, and other 47.2%, industry 29.7%, agriculture 16.1%, construction 7.0% (1991)
Ireland
1.37 million
- by occupation:
- services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 28%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 13.5%, energy and mining 1.5% (1992)
Liechtenstein
20,000 of which 12,000 are foreigners; 6,885 commute from Austria and Switzerland to work each day
- by occupation:
- industry, trade, and building 48.1%, services 50.2%, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 1.7% (1993)
Luxembourg
200,400 (1992) (one-third of labor force is foreign workers, mostly from Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany) by occupation: trade, restaurants, hotels 20%, mining, quarrying, manufacturing 18%, other market services 17%, community, social, personal services 14%, construction 11%, finance, insurance, real estate, business services 9%, transport, storage, communications 7%, agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing 3%, electricity, gas, water 1%
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of now North Macedonia
591,773 (June 1994)
- by occupation:
- manufacturing and mining 40% (1992)
Norway
2.13 million
- by occupation:
- services 71%, industry 23%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6% (1993)
Poland
17.743 million (1994 annual average)
- by occupation:
- industry and construction 32.0%, agriculture 27.6%, trade, transport, and communications 14.7%, government and other 25.7% (1992)
Portugal
4.24 million (1994 est.)
- by occupation:
- services 54.5%,
- manufacturing 24.4%,
- agriculture,
- forestry,
- fisheries 11.2%,
- construction 8.3%,
- utilities 1.0%,
- mining 0.5% (1992)
Sweden
4.552 million (84% unionized, 1992)
- by occupation:
- community, social and personal services 38.3%, mining and manufacturing 21.2%, commerce, hotels, and restaurants 14.1%, banking, insurance 9.0%, communications 7.2%, construction 7.0%, agriculture, fishing, and forestry 3.2% (1991)
Ukraine
23.55 million (January 1994)
- by occupation:
- industry and construction 33%, agriculture and forestry 21%, health, education, and culture 16%, trade and distribution 7%, transport and communication 7%, other 16% (1992)
Middle East
16 entriesGaza Strip
NA
- by occupation:
- construction 33.4%, agriculture 20.0%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 14.9%, industry 10.0%, other services 21.7% (1991)
note: excluding Israeli settlers
Iran
15.4 million
- by occupation:
- agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%
note: shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)
Iraq
4.4 million (1989)
- by occupation:
note: severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force was about 1,600,000 (July 1990); since then, it has declined substantially
Israel
1.9 million (1992)
- by occupation:
- public services 29.3%, industry 22.1%, commerce 13.9%, finance and business 10.4%, personal and other services 7.4%, construction 6.5%, transport, storage, and communications 6.3%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.5%, other 0.6% (1992)
Jordan
600,000 (1992)
- by occupation:
- industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction 10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other services 52.0% (1992)
Saudi Arabia
6 million-7 million
- by occupation:
- government 40%, industry, construction, and oil 25%, services 30%, agriculture 5%
West Bank
NA
- by occupation:
- construction 28.2%, agriculture 21.8%, industry 14.5%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 12.6%, other services 22.9% (1991)
note: excluding Israeli settlers
Yemen
- no reliable estimates exist, most people are employed in agriculture and herding or as expatriate laborers;
- services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-half of the labor force
North America
5 entriesMexico
33.6 million (1994)
- by occupation:
- services 31.7%, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing 28%, commerce 14.6%, manufacturing 11.1%, construction 8.4%, transportation 4.7%, mining and quarrying 1.5%
United States
- 132.304 million (includes unemployed) (1995)
- by occupation:
- managerial and professional 28.3%, technical, sales and administrative support 30.0%, services 13.5%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.3%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%
Oceania
25 entriesGuam
46,930 (1990)
- by occupation:
- federal and territorial government 40%, private 60% (trade 18%, services 15.6%, construction 13.8%, other 12.6%) (1990)
Micronesia, Federated States of now Federated States of Micronesia
NA
- by occupation:
- two-thirds are government employees
Niue
1,000 (1981 est.)
- by occupation:
- most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Northern Mariana Islands
- 7,476 total indigenous labor force;
- 2,699 unemployed;
- 21,188 foreign workers (1990)
- by occupation:
- NA
Pitcairn Islands
14 able-bodied men (1993)
- by occupation:
- no business community in the usual sense;
- some public works;
- subsistence farming and fishing
Solomon Islands
26,842
- by occupation:
- services 41.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 23.7%, commerce, transport, and finance 21.7%, construction, manufacturing, and mining 13.1% (1992 est.)
South America
14 entriesBolivia
3.54 million
- by occupation:
- agriculture NA%,
- services and utilities 20%,
- manufacturing,
- mining and construction 7% (1993)
Chile
4.728 million
- by occupation:
- services 38.3% (includes government 12%), industry and commerce 33.8%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%, mining 2.3%, construction 6.4% (1990)
French Guiana
36,597 (1993)
- by occupation:
- services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Guyana
268,000
- by occupation:
note: public-sector employment amounts to 60%-80% of the total labor force (1985)
Peru
8 million (1992)
- by occupation:
- agriculture,
- mining and quarrying,
- manufacturing,
- construction,
- transport,
- services
Uruguay
1.355 million (1991 est.)
- by occupation:
- government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)
Southeast Asia
15 entriesBrunei
119,000 (1993 est.); note - includes members of the Army
- by occupation:
- government 47.5%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 41.9%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.8% (1986)
note: 33% of labor force is foreign (1988)
Christmas Island
NA
- by occupation:
- all workers are employees of the Phosphate Mining Company of Christmas Island, Ltd.
Hong Kong
2,915,400 (1994)
- by occupation:
- manufacturing 28.5%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 27.9%, services 17.7%, financing, insurance, and real estate 9.2%, transport and communications 4.5%, construction 2.5%, other 9.7% (1989)
Singapore
1.649 million (1994)
- by occupation:
- financial, business, and other services 33.5%, manufacturing 25.6%, commerce 22.9%, construction 6.6%, other 11.4% (1994)
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1996, “Labor force”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/labor-force/1996.