Key findings from the Samoa Labour Force and Child Labour Survey undertaken in 2022 were presented by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics at its launch on Friday 26 February 2024, at the TATTE Convention Centre.  The Minister of SBS, Hon. Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molio’o, provided a snapshot of the findings stating the statistics provided valuable insights into employment and unemployment rates, proportion of children and youth engaged in unpaid domestic work and child labour as well as other key areas.   As the Minister responsible for social issues through the MWCSD, she stated the information compiled from the data collected was crucial to the Government in that, it not only helped guide the economic development of the country, but also guided government’s planning and decision-making processes in ensuring help was focused on areas that needed it the most.  These aspirations would also help achieve some of the key social priorities identified in the Pathway for the Development of Samoa.

Jointly funded by ADB, ILO and Government of Samoa, this was the third survey of its kind since 2012 and 2017.  According to the SBS Chief Executive Officer, the findings are also crucial towards fulfilling some of Samoa’s obligations to the SDG 2030 indicators.  Some key findings included a drop-in unemployment rate from 14.5% in 2017 to 5.0% in 2022; a reduction in the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training from 37.9% in 2017 to 30.1% in 2022 and a decrease in manufacturing employment as share of total employment from 6.8% to 6.0% in 2017 to 2022respectively.

The survey was conducted jointly by SBS and MCIL.  Key findings and the full report can be downloaded here: www.sbs.gov.ws or contact: Papaliitele Benjamin Sila via email benjamin.sila@sbs.gov.ws or phone 27376 for a hardcopy.

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Samoa Labour Force Flow Chart