The Maldives Bureau of Statistics (MBS) has officially launched its latest Labour Force Survey (LFS), a key initiative aimed at providing a detailed snapshot of the nation's employment landscape.
The launch ceremony was attended by Joni Simpson, the Country Director for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, who emphasised the human dimension behind the data.
Conducted in the final quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year, the survey is a core function of the MBS, which is responsible for collecting labour and employment market statistics under the Statistics Act of the Maldives.
Speaking at the launch, Joni Simpson underscored that the LFS goes beyond mere statistics.
"This is not just about numbers. This is a survey of people in the workplace, their work, time spent at work, income, and the challenges they face,” she said.
The data collected will help identify the working and unemployed populations, providing a foundation for future policy-level decisions. The extensive survey covers a wide range of topics to build a holistic understanding of the labor market. These areas include:
General demographic information of people.
Details on the employed and income-earning population.
Data on those actively seeking and not yet receiving income-generating work.
Information on education and migration.
Time spent on household chores.
Details of the volunteer population.
According to the MBS, the survey's primary objectives are to identify the economically active population, determine the proportion of people in employment, and assess the rate of new job creation.
The data will also be used to obtain migration rates, update population projections, and track the nation's progress toward achieving its sustainable development goals.
The findings from this comprehensive survey are expected to play a critical role in shaping future labour policies and economic strategies for the country.