The CIA World Factbook Edition 1998 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 1998 edition carries it in 236 entries, in its Economy section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.

entries in the 1998 edition
236
the first edition with it
1990
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Labor force” (1990 to 2025).

the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Labor force, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.

1998

Every edition with Labor force

Entries with Labor force in each edition

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World

1 entry

World

total:
2.24 billion (1992)
by occupation:
NA

Africa

57 entries

Algeria

total:
7.8 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • government 29.5%,
  • agriculture 22%,
  • construction and public works 16.2%,
  • industry 13.6%,
  • commerce and services 13.5%,
  • transportation and communication 5.2% (1989)

Angola

total:
2.783 million economically active
by occupation:
agriculture 85%, industry and services 15% (1997 est.)

Benin

NA

Botswana

total:
235,000 formal sector employees (1995)
by occupation:
  • 100,000 public sector;
  • 135,000 private sector, including 14,300 who are employed in various mines in South Africa;
  • most others engaged in cattle raising and subsistence agriculture (1995 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)

Burundi

total:
1.9 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture 93.0%,
  • government 4.0%,
  • industry and commerce 1.5%,
  • services 1.5% (1983 est.)

Cape Verde now Cabo Verde

NA

Cameroon

NA

Central African Republic

NA

Chad

NA

by occupation:
agriculture 85% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)

Comoros

total:
144,500 (1996 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 80%, government 3%

Congo, Democratic Republic of the now Democratic Republic of the Congo

total:
14.51 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 65%,
  • industry 16%,
  • services 19% (1991 est.)

Congo, Republic of the now Republic of the Congo

NA

Cote d'Ivoire

NA

Djibouti

total:
282,000
by occupation:
  • agriculture 75%,
  • industry 11%,
  • services 14% (1991 est.)

Egypt

total:
17.4 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 40%,
  • services,
  • including government 38%,
  • industry 22% (1990 est.)

Equatorial Guinea

NA

Eritrea

NA

Swaziland now Eswatini

total:
135,000 (1996)
by occupation:
private sector about 70%, public sector about 30%

Ethiopia

total:
NA
by occupation:
  • agriculture and animal husbandry 80%,
  • government and services 12%,
  • industry and construction 8% (1985)

Gabon

NA

by occupation:
  • agriculture 65%,
  • industry and commerce,
  • services

Gambia, The now The Gambia

total:
NA
by occupation:
agriculture 75.0%, industry, commerce, and services 18.9%, government 6.1%

Ghana

total:
NA
by occupation:
  • agriculture and fishing 61%,
  • industry 10%,
  • services 29% (1996 est.)

Guinea

total:
2.4 million (1983)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 80.0%,
  • industry and commerce 11.0%,
  • services 5.4%,
  • civil service 3.6%

Guinea-Bissau

480,000

Kenya

total:
8.78 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 75%-80%, non-agriculture 20%-25%

Lesotho

total:
689,000 economically active
by occupation:
86% of resident population engaged in subsistence agriculture; roughly 35% of the active male wage earners work in South Africa

Liberia

by occupation:
agriculture 70%

Libya

total:
1 million
by occupation:
  • industry 31%,
  • services 27%,
  • government 24%,
  • agriculture 18%

note: 3% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Madagascar

NA

Malawi

total:
3.5 million
by occupation:
agriculture 86%, wage earners 14% (1990 est.)

Mali

total:
NA
by occupation:
  • agriculture 80%,
  • services 19%,
  • industry and commerce 1% (1981)

Mauritania

total:
465,000 (1981 est.); 45,000 wage earners (1980)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 47%,
  • services 29%,
  • industry and commerce 14%,
  • government 10%

Mauritius

total:
514,000 (1995)
by occupation:
  • construction and industry 36%,
  • services 24%,
  • agriculture and fishing 14%,
  • trade,
  • restaurants,
  • hotels 16%,
  • transportation and communication 7%,
  • finance 3% (1995)

Mayotte

NA

Morocco

total:
7.4 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture 50%,
  • services 26%,
  • industry 15%,
  • other 9% (1985)

Mozambique

NA

by occupation:
80% engaged in agriculture

note: in 1993, 47% of the wage earners were employed in industry, 28% in transportation and communication; traditionally, a large number of Mozambicans work abroad

Namibia

total:
500,000
by occupation:
  • agriculture 49%,
  • industry and commerce 25%,
  • services 5%,
  • government 18%,
  • mining 3% (1994 est.)

Niger

total:
70,000 receive regular wages or salaries
by occupation:
  • agriculture 90%,
  • industry and commerce 6%,
  • government 4%

Nigeria

total:
42.844 million
by occupation:
agriculture 54%, industry, commerce, and services 19%, government 15%

Reunion

total:
242,169 (1993)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 8%,
  • industry 19%,
  • services 73% (1990)

Rwanda

total:
3.6 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture 93%,
  • government and services 5%,
  • industry and commerce 2%

Saint Helena now Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

total:
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; there are shortages of skilled workers

Senegal

NA

by occupation:
agriculture 60%

Seychelles

total:
26,000 (1996)
by occupation:
industry 19%, services 57%, government 14%, fishing, agriculture, and forestry 10% (1989)

Sierra Leone

total:
1.369 million (1981 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 65%,
  • industry 19%,
  • services 16% (1981 est.)

note: only about 65,000 wage earners (1985)

Somalia

total:
3.7 million (very few are skilled laborers)(1993 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture (mostly pastoral nomadism) 71%, industry and services 29%

South Africa

total:
14.2 million economically active (1996)
by occupation:
  • services 35%,
  • agriculture 30%,
  • industry 20%,
  • mining 9%,
  • other 6%

Sudan

total:
11 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 80%,
  • industry and commerce 10%,
  • government 6%

note: labor shortages for almost all categories of skilled employment (1983 est.)

Tanzania

total:
13.495 million
by occupation:
agriculture 90%, industry and commerce 10% (1995 est.)

Togo

total:
1.538 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 65%,
  • industry 5%,
  • services 30% (1997 est.)

Tunisia

total:
2.917 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
  • services 55%,
  • industry 23%,
  • agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

note: shortage of skilled labor

Uganda

total:
8.361 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 86%,
  • industry 4%,
  • services 10% (1980 est.)

Western Sahara

total:
12,000
by occupation:
animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

Zambia

total:
3.4 million
by occupation:
agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport and services 9%

Zimbabwe

total:
4.228 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 27%,
  • transport and services 46%,
  • industry 27%

Arctic Region

3 entries

Greenland

total:
24,500 (1995 est.)

Iceland

total:
131,000 (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • manufacturing 12.9%,
  • fishing and fish processing 11.8%,
  • construction 10.7%,
  • other services 59.5%,
  • agriculture 5.1% (1996 est.)

Svalbard

NA

Asia

22 entries

Afghanistan

total:
7.1 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%,
  • industry 10.2%,
  • construction 6.3%,
  • commerce 5.0%,
  • services and other 10.7% (1980 est.)

Armenia

total:
1.6 million (1997)
by occupation:
manufacturing, mining, and construction 25%, agriculture 38%, services 37%

Azerbaijan

total:
2.789 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture and forestry 32%,
  • industry and construction 26%,
  • other 42% (1990)

Bangladesh

total:
56 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture 63%,
  • services 25%,
  • industry and mining 10% (1996)

note: extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, and Oman (1996)

Bhutan

NA

by occupation:
  • agriculture 93%,
  • services 5%,
  • industry and commerce 2%

note: massive lack of skilled labor

China

total:
623.9 million (1995)
by occupation:
  • agriculture and forestry 53%,
  • industry and commerce 26%,
  • construction and mining 7%,
  • social services 4%,
  • other 10% (1995)

Georgia

total:
2.2 million (1996)
by occupation:
  • industry and construction 31%,
  • agriculture and forestry 25%,
  • other 44% (1990)

India

total:
390 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 67%,
  • services 18%,
  • industry 15% (1995 est.)

Japan

total:
67.23 million (March 1997)
by occupation:
trade and services 50%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%, utilities and communication 7%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6%, government 3% (1994)

Kazakhstan

total:
6.9 million
by occupation:
  • industry 27%,
  • agriculture and forestry 23%,
  • other 50% (1996)

Korea, North now North Korea

total:
9.615 million
by occupation:
agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

Korea, South now South Korea

total:
20 million
by occupation:
  • services and other 52%,
  • mining and manufacturing 27%,
  • agriculture,
  • fishing,
  • forestry 21% (1991)

Kyrgyzstan

total:
1.7 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture and forestry 40%,
  • industry and construction 19%,
  • other 41% (1995 est.)

Maldives

total:
56,435 (1990 est.)
by occupation:
fishing industry and agriculture 25%, services 21%, manufacturing and construction 21%, trade, restaurants, and hotels 16%, transportation and communication 10%, other 7%

Mongolia

total:
1.115 million (mid-1993 est.)
by occupation:
primarily herding/agricultural

Nepal

total:
10 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 81%,
  • services 16%,
  • industry 3%

note: severe lack of skilled labor

Pakistan

total:
37.8 million (1998)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 47%,
  • mining and manufacturing 17%,
  • services 17%,
  • other 19%

note: extensive export of labor, mostly to the Middle East, and use of child labor

Russia

total:
66 million (1997)
by occupation:
NA

Sri Lanka

total:
6.2 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • services 46%,
  • agriculture 37%,
  • industry 17% (1997 est.)

Tajikistan

total:
1.9 million (1996)
by occupation:
agriculture and forestry 52%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 17%, services 31% (1995)

Turkmenistan

total:
2.34 million (1996)
by occupation:
  • agriculture and forestry 44%,
  • industry and construction 19%,
  • other 37% (1996)

Uzbekistan

total:
8.6 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture and forestry 44%,
  • industry and construction 20%,
  • other 36% (1995)

Central America and the Caribbean

31 entries

Anguilla

total:
4,400 (1992)
by occupation:
  • commerce 36%,
  • services 29%,
  • construction 18%,
  • transportation and utilities 10%,
  • manufacturing 3%,
  • agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%

Antigua and Barbuda

total:
30,000
by occupation:
  • commerce and services 82%,
  • agriculture 11%,
  • industry 7% (1983)

Aruba

NA

by occupation:
most employment is in the tourist industry (1996)

Bahamas, The now The Bahamas

total:
146,600 (1996)
by occupation:
  • government 30%,
  • tourism 40%,
  • business services 10%,
  • agriculture 5% (1995 est.)

Barbados

total:
68,900 (1996)
by occupation:
  • services 75%,
  • industry 15%,
  • agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

Belize

total:
71,000
by occupation:
  • agriculture 30%,
  • services 16%,
  • government 15.4%,
  • commerce 11.2%,
  • manufacturing 10.3%

note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.)

British Virgin Islands

total:
4,911 (1980)
by occupation:
tourism NA%

Cayman Islands

total:
8,061
by occupation:
  • service workers 18.7%,
  • clerical 18.6%,
  • construction 12.5%,
  • finance and investment 6.7%,
  • directors and business managers 5.9% (1979)

Costa Rica

total:
868,300
by occupation:
  • industry and commerce 35.1%,
  • government and services 33%,
  • agriculture 27%,
  • other 4.9% (1985 est.)

Cuba

total:
4.5 million economically active population (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • services and government 30%,
  • industry 22%,
  • agriculture 20%,
  • commerce 11%,
  • construction 10%,
  • transportation and communications 7% (June 1990)

note: state sector 76%, non-state sector 24% (1996 est.)

Dominica

total:
25,000
by occupation:
  • agriculture 40%,
  • industry and commerce 32%,
  • services 28% (1984)

Dominican Republic

2.3 million to 2.6 million

by occupation:
  • agriculture 50%,
  • services and government 32%,
  • industry 18% (1991 est.)

El Salvador

total:
2.26 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 40%,
  • commerce 16%,
  • manufacturing 15%,
  • government 13%,
  • financial services 9%,
  • transportation 6%,
  • other 1%

Grenada

total:
36,000
by occupation:
  • services 31%,
  • agriculture 24%,
  • construction 8%,
  • manufacturing 5%,
  • other 32% (1985)

Guadeloupe

total:
128,000
by occupation:
  • agriculture 15%,
  • industry 20%,
  • services 65% (1993)

Guatemala

total:
3.32 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 58%,
  • services 14%,
  • manufacturing 14%,
  • commerce 7%,
  • construction 4%,
  • transport 2.6%,
  • utilities 0.3%,
  • mining 0.1% (1995)

Haiti

total:
3.6 million (1995)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 66%,
  • services 25%,
  • industry 9%

note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)

Honduras

total:
1.3 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 62%,
  • services 20%,
  • manufacturing 9%,
  • construction 3%,
  • other 6% (1985)

Jamaica

total:
1.14 million (1996)
by occupation:
  • services 41%,
  • agriculture 22.5%,
  • industry 19%,
  • unemployed 17.5% (1989)

Martinique

total:
160,000
by occupation:
  • agriculture 10%,
  • industry 17%,
  • services 73% (1992)

Montserrat

total:
4,521 (1992); note-later substantially lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity
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.)

Netherlands Antilles

total:
89,000
by occupation:
government 65%, industry and commerce 28% (1983)

Nicaragua

total:
1.5 million
by occupation:
  • services 54%,
  • agriculture 31%,
  • industry 15% (1995 est.)

Panama

total:
1.044 million (1997 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

Puerto Rico

total:
1.3 million (1996)
by occupation:
  • government 19%,
  • manufacturing 13%,
  • trade 17%,
  • construction 5%,
  • other 32%,
  • unemployed 14% (1996)

Saint Kitts and Nevis

total:
18,172 (June 1995)
by occupation:
services 69%, manufacturing 31%

Saint Lucia

total:
43,800
by occupation:
  • agriculture 43.4%,
  • services 38.9%,
  • industry and commerce 17.7% (1983 est.)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

total:
67,000 (1984 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 26%,
  • industry 17%,
  • services 57% (1980 est.)

Trinidad and Tobago

total:
404,500
by occupation:
construction and utilities 13%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, agriculture 11%, services 62% (1993 est.)

Turks and Caicos Islands

total:
4,848 (1990 est.)
by occupation:
about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; large numbers in tourism and financial and other services (1997 est.)

Virgin Islands

total:
47,443 (1990 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 1%,
  • industry 20%,
  • services 62%,
  • other 17% (1990)

Europe

46 entries

Albania

total:
1.692 million (1994 est.) (including 352,000 emigrant workers and 261,000 domestically unemployed)
by occupation:
  • agriculture (nearly all private) 49.5%, private sector 22.2%, state (nonfarm) sector 28.3% (including state-owned industry 7.8%);
  • note-includes only those domestically employed

Andorra

NA

Austria

total:
3.646 million (1996)
by occupation:
  • services 66.1%,
  • industry and crafts 29.6%,
  • agriculture and forestry 1.3% (salaried employees, 1996)

note: an estimated 150,000 Austrians are employed abroad; foreign laborers in Austria number 298,000 (1996)

Belarus

total:
4.3 million
by occupation:
  • industry and construction 40%,
  • agriculture and forestry 19%,
  • services 41% (1997 est.)

Belgium

total:
4.283 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • services 69.7%,
  • industry 27.7%,
  • agriculture 2.6% (1992)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

total:
1,026,254
by occupation:
NA%

Bulgaria

total:
3.57 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • industry 41%,
  • agriculture 18%,
  • other 41% (1992)

Croatia

total:
1.444 million (1995)
by occupation:
  • industry and mining 31.1%,
  • agriculture 4.3%,
  • government 19.1% (including education and health),
  • other 45.5% (1993)

Czech Republic now Czechia

total:
5.124 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • industry 33.1%,
  • agriculture 6.9%,
  • construction 9.1%,
  • transport and communications 7.2%,
  • services 43.7% (1994)

Denmark

total:
2,895,950
by occupation:
private services 40%, government services 30%, manufacturing and mining 19%, construction 6%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 5% (1995)

Estonia

total:
785,000 (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • industry and construction 42%,
  • agriculture and forestry 20%,
  • other 38% (1990)

Faroe Islands

total:
20,345 (1995 est.)
by occupation:
largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce

Finland

total:
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%

France

total:
25.5 million
by occupation:
  • services 69%,
  • industry 26%,
  • agriculture 5% (1995)

Germany

total:
38.7 million
by occupation:
  • industry 41%,
  • agriculture 3%,
  • services 56% (1995)

Gibraltar

total:
14,800 (including non-Gibraltar laborers)
by occupation:
  • services 60%,
  • industry 40%,
  • agriculture NEGL

Greece

total:
4.21 million
by occupation:
  • services 52%,
  • agriculture 23%,
  • industry 25% (1995)

Guernsey

NA

Holy See (Vatican City)

NA

by occupation:
dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers who live outside the Vatican

Hungary

total:
4.5 million (1996)
by occupation:
services 65.0%, industry 26.7%, agriculture 8.3 (1996)

Ireland

total:
1.52 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
services 62.1%, manufacturing and construction 27.0%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10.0%, utilities 0.9% (1996 est.)

Man, Isle of now Isle of Man

total:
33,577 (1996)
by occupation:
  • manufacturing 11%,
  • construction 10%,
  • transport and communication 8%,
  • retail distribution 9%,
  • professional and scientific services 18%,
  • public administration 6%,
  • banking and finance 18%

Italy

total:
22.851 million
by occupation:
  • services 61%,
  • industry 32%,
  • agriculture 7% (1996)

Jersey

NA

Latvia

total:
1.4 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • industry 41%,
  • agriculture and forestry 16%,
  • services 43% (1990)

Liechtenstein

total:
22,891 of which 13,847 are foreigners; 8,231 commute from Austria and Switzerland to work each day
by occupation:
industry, trade, and building 46%, services 52%, agriculture, fishing, forestry, and horticulture 2% (1996 est.)

Lithuania

total:
1.8 million
by occupation:
  • industry and construction 42%,
  • agriculture and forestry 20%,
  • other 38% (1997)

Luxembourg

total:
213,100 (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 16%,
  • other market services 18%,
  • community,
  • social,
  • personal services 14%,
  • construction 11%,
  • finance,
  • insurance,
  • real estate,
  • business services 9%,
  • transport,
  • storage,
  • communications 8%,
  • agriculture,
  • hunting,
  • forestry,
  • fishing 1%,
  • electricity,
  • gas,
  • water 1% (1995 est.)

Malta

total:
148,085 (September 1996)
by occupation:
  • public services 34%,
  • other services 32%,
  • manufacturing and construction 22%,
  • agriculture 2% (1996)

Moldova

total:
2.42 million (1995)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 46.1%,
  • industry 13.9%,
  • other 40.0% (1996)

Monaco

total:
30,540 (1 January 1994)

Netherlands

total:
6.6 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • services 75%,
  • manufacturing and construction 23%,
  • agriculture 2% (1996)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of now North Macedonia

total:
591,773 (June 1994)
by occupation:
manufacturing and mining 40% (1992)

Norway

total:
2.13 million
by occupation:
services 71%, industry 23%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6% (1993)

Poland

total:
17.7 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
  • industry and construction 29.9%,
  • agriculture 26%,
  • services 44.1% (1996)

Portugal

total:
4.53 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • services 56%,
  • manufacturing 23%,
  • agriculture,
  • forestry,
  • fisheries 11%,
  • construction 8%,
  • utilities 1%,
  • mining 1% (1995)

Romania

total:
10.1 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • industry 28.6%,
  • agriculture 34.4%,
  • trade 10.4%,
  • construction 5.1%,
  • other 21.5% (1995)

San Marino

total:
15,600 (1995)
by occupation:
  • services 55%,
  • industry 43%,
  • agriculture 2% (1995)

Serbia and Montenegro

total:
2.178 million
by occupation:
  • industry 41%,
  • services 35%,
  • trade and tourism 12%,
  • transportation and communication 7%,
  • agriculture 5% (1994)

Slovakia

total:
2.352 million
by occupation:
  • industry 29.3%,
  • agriculture 8.9%,
  • construction 8.0%,
  • transport and communication 8.2%,
  • services 45.6% (1994)

Slovenia

total:
857,400
by occupation:
  • services 62%,
  • industry 36%,
  • agriculture 2% (1995)

Spain

total:
16.2 million
by occupation:
services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 28%, agriculture 8% (1997 est.)

Sweden

total:
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)

Switzerland

total:
3.8 million (850,000 foreign workers, mostly Italian)
by occupation:
  • services 67%,
  • manufacturing and construction 29%,
  • agriculture and forestry 4% (1995)

Ukraine

total:
22.8 million (yearend 1997)
by occupation:
industry and construction 32%, agriculture and forestry 24%, health, education, and culture 17%, trade and distribution 8%, transport and communication 7%, other 12% (1996)

United Kingdom

total:
28.2 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • services 68.9%,
  • manufacturing and construction 17.5%,
  • government 11.3%,
  • energy 1.2%,
  • agriculture 1.1% (1996)

Middle East

17 entries

Bahrain

total:
140,000
by occupation:
industry, commerce, and service 78%, government 21%, agriculture 1% (1994)

note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Cyprus

total:
Greek Cypriot area: 299,700
by occupation:
  • services 62%,
  • industry 25%,
  • agriculture 13% (1995)
total:
Turkish Cypriot area: 76,500 (1996)
by occupation:
  • services 66%,
  • industry 11%,
  • agriculture 23% (1995)

Gaza Strip

NA

by occupation:
  • services 66%,
  • industry 21%,
  • agriculture 13% (1996)

note: excluding Israeli settlers

Iran

total:
15.4 million
by occupation:
agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21% (1988 est.)

note: shortage of skilled labor

Iraq

total:
4.4 million (1989)
by occupation:
  • services 48%,
  • agriculture 30%,
  • industry 22%

note: severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force was about 1,600,000 (July 1990); since then, it has declined substantially

Israel

total:
2.3 million (1997)
by occupation:
public services 31.3%, manufacturing 20.2%, finance and business 13.1%, commerce 12.8%, construction 7.5%, personal and other services 6.4%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6% (1996)

Jordan

total:
1.15 million plus 300,000 foreign workers (1997 est.)
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)

Kuwait

total:
1.1 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • government and social services 50%,
  • services 40%,
  • industry and agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

note: 68% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Lebanon

total:
1 million plus as many as 1 million foreign workers (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • services 62%,
  • industry 31%,
  • agriculture 7% (1997 est.)

Oman

total:
780,500 (1997 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 37% (1993 est.)

Qatar

total:
233,000 (1993 est.)

note: 83% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1997 est.)

Saudi Arabia

7 million

by occupation:
government 40%, industry, construction, and oil 25%, services 30%, agriculture 5%

note: 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Syria

total:
4.7 million (1995 est.)
by occupation:
  • services 40%,
  • agriculture 40%,
  • industry 20% (1996 est.)

Turkey now Turkiye

total:
21.6 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture 43.1%,
  • services 30.1%,
  • industry 14.4%,
  • construction 6.0% (1996)

note: about 1.5 million Turks work abroad (1994)

United Arab Emirates

total:
1.05 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • services 65%,
  • industry and commerce 30%,
  • agriculture 5% (1996 est.)

note: 75% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

West Bank

NA

by occupation:
agriculture 13%, industry 13%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 12%, construction 8%, other services 54% (1996)

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 entries

Bermuda

total:
34,633
by occupation:
  • clerical 23%,
  • services 22%,
  • laborers 17%,
  • professional and technical 17%,
  • administrative and managerial 12%,
  • sales 7%,
  • agriculture and fishing 2% (1996)

Canada

total:
15.3 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • services 75%,
  • manufacturing 16%,
  • agriculture 3%,
  • construction 5%,
  • other 1% (1997)

Mexico

total:
36.6 million (1996)
by occupation:
services 28.8%, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing 21.8%, commerce 17.1%, manufacturing 16.1%, construction 5.2%, public administration and national defense 4.4%, transportation and communications 4.1%

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

total:
2,971 (1995)
by occupation:
NA

United States

total:
136.3 million (includes unemployed) (1997)
by occupation:
managerial and professional 29.1%, technical, sales and administrative support 29.6%, services 13.5%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.1%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.7%

Oceania

25 entries

American Samoa

total:
14,400 (1990)
by occupation:
  • government 33%,
  • tuna canneries 34%,
  • other 33% (1990)

Australia

total:
9.2 million (December 1997)
by occupation:
  • services 73%,
  • industry 22%,
  • agriculture 5% (1997 est.)

Cook Islands

total:
6,601 (1993)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 29%,
  • government 27%,
  • services 25%,
  • industry 15%,
  • other 4% (1981)

Fiji

total:
235,000
by occupation:
  • subsistence agriculture 67%,
  • wage earners 18%,
  • salary earners 15% (1987)

French Polynesia

total:
118,744 (of which 70,044 are employed) (1988)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 13%,
  • industry 19%,
  • services 68% (1992 est.)

Guam

total:
65,660 (1995)
by occupation:
federal and territorial government 31%, private 69% (trade 21%, services 33%, construction 12%, other 3%) (1995)

Kiribati

total:
7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (1985 est.)

Marshall Islands

total:
4,800 (1986)
by occupation:
NA

Micronesia, Federated States of now Federated States of Micronesia

NA

by occupation:
two-thirds are government employees

Nauru

by occupation:
employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation

New Caledonia

total:
70,044 (1988)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 32%,
  • industry 20%,
  • services 40%,
  • mining 8% (1992)

New Zealand

total:
1,634,500 (September 1995)
by occupation:
  • services 64.6%,
  • industry 25.0%,
  • agriculture 10.4% (1994)

Niue

total:
450 (1992 est.)
by occupation:
most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Norfolk Island

total:
1,395 (1991 est.)
by occupation:
tourism NA%, subsistence agriculture NA%

Northern Mariana Islands

total:
  • 7,476 total indigenous labor force;
  • 2,699 unemployed;
  • 22,560 foreign workers (1995)
by occupation:
NA

Palau

NA

by occupation:
NA

Papua New Guinea

total:
1.941 million
by occupation:
agriculture 64% (1993 est.)

Pitcairn Islands

total:
14 able-bodied men (1993)
by occupation:
  • no business community in the usual sense;
  • some public works;
  • subsistence farming and fishing

Samoa

total:
82,500 (1991 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 65%,
  • services 30%,
  • industry 5% (1995 est.)

Solomon Islands

total:
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.)

Tokelau

NA

Tonga

total:
36,665 (1994)
by occupation:
agriculture 65% (1997 est.)

Tuvalu

NA

by occupation:
NA

note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those working abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Vanuatu

total:
NA
by occupation:
  • agriculture 65%,
  • services 32%,
  • industry 3% (1995 est.)

Wallis and Futuna

NA

by occupation:
agriculture, livestock, and fishing 80%, government 4% (est.)

South America

14 entries

Argentina

total:
14.5 million (1995 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 12%,
  • industry 31%,
  • services 57% (1985 est.)

Bolivia

total:
2.5 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture NA%,
  • services and utilities NA%,
  • manufacturing,
  • mining and construction NA%

Brazil

total:
57 million (1989 est.)
by occupation:
  • services 42%,
  • agriculture 31%,
  • industry 27%

Chile

total:
5.7 million (1997 est.)
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)

Colombia

total:
16.8 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
  • services 46%,
  • agriculture 30%,
  • industry 24% (1990)

Ecuador

total:
4.2 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture 29%,
  • manufacturing 18%,
  • commerce 15%,
  • services and other activities 38% (1990)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

total:
1,100 (est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding)

French Guiana

total:
46,300 (1993)
by occupation:
services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)

Guyana

NA

Paraguay

total:
1.8 million (1995 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 45%

Peru

total:
7.6 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture,
  • mining and quarrying,
  • manufacturing,
  • construction,
  • transport,
  • services

Suriname

NA

by occupation:
  • agriculture,
  • industry,
  • services

Uruguay

total:
1.38 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%, utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other services 21% (1988 est.)

Venezuela

total:
9.2 million
by occupation:
  • services 64%,
  • industry 23%,
  • agriculture 13% (1997 est.)

Southeast Asia

15 entries

Brunei

total:
144,000 (1995 est.); note-includes foreign workers and military personnel
by occupation:
government 48%, production of oil, natural gas, services, and construction 42%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 4%, other 6% (1986 est.)

note: temporary residents make up 41% of labor force (1991)

Burma now Burma (Myanmar)

total:
18.8 million (FY95/96 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 65.2%,
  • industry 14.3%,
  • trade 10.1%,
  • government 6.3%,
  • other 4.1% (FY88/89 est.)

Cambodia

2.5 million to 3 million

by occupation:
agriculture 80% (1997 est.)

Christmas Island

total:
NA
by occupation:
tourism 400 people, mining 100 people

Cocos (Keeling) Islands

NA

note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage worker operations; tourism employs others

Hong Kong

total:
3.183 million (1997)
by occupation:
wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 32.4%, social services 9.9%, manufacturing 9.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate 13.0%, transport and communications 5.7%, construction 2.6%, other 26.5% (June 1997)

Indonesia

total:
67 million
by occupation:
  • agriculture 44%,
  • manufacturing 13%,
  • construction 5%,
  • transport and communications 4%,
  • other 34% (1995 est.)

Laos

1 million-1.5 million

by occupation:
agriculture 80% (1997 est.)

Macau

total:
271,228 (1995)
by occupation:
  • industry 28%,
  • restaurants and hotels 28%,
  • other services 44%

Malaysia

total:
8.398 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
manufacturing 25%, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries 21%, local trade and tourism 17%, services 12%, government 11%, construction 8% (1996)

Philippines

total:
29.13 million (1996 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 43.4%,
  • services 22.6%,
  • government services 17.9%,
  • industry and commerce 16.1% (1995)

Singapore

total:
1.856 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
financial, business, and other services 33.5%, manufacturing 25.6%, commerce 22.9%, construction 6.6%, other 11.4% (1994)

Taiwan

total:
9.4 million (1997)
by occupation:
  • services 52%,
  • industry 38%,
  • agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

Thailand

total:
32.6 million (1997 est.)
by occupation:
  • agriculture 54%,
  • industry 15%,
  • services (including government) 31% (1996 est.)

Vietnam

total:
32.7 million
by occupation:
agriculture 65%, industry and services 35% (1990 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1998, “Labor force”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/labor-force/1998.

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