Chuuk State Census Report - pacificweb.org

Chapter 9. Economic Activity2000 FSM Census of Chuuk StateThe current work force included both formal workers and agricultural and fishing workers, and all persons at a paidjob. Current workers were only those persons who responded about their jobs in the week before the census.Persons sick or temporarily absent from a job were not included in the current work force.Limitations and comparability. The above definitions follow the recommendations of the Conference of LaborStatisticians and the global and regional recommendations of the United Nations International Labor Organization(ILO). The definitions differ from the U.S. Bureau of Census labor force definitions in two ways. First, the U.S.definition of labor force does not include subsistence, while the ILO definition does; the second difference is that theage limit in the U.S. is usually for persons aged 16 and over, while ILO uses aged 15 and over. The two methodsresult in different labor force participation rates and unemployment rates. Although the ILO method is presented inthis chapter, a table based on the U.S. definitions is presented in the basic tables section of this report (Table B15).The question for classifying persons in subsistence agriculture and fishing activities into the ‘subsistence’ and‘market-oriented’ subgroups differed slightly between 1994 and 2000. The 1994 Census classified personsaccording to the primary purpose (pure subsistence or market oriented) of the main type of subsistence activity(fishing, gardening, etc.), allowing for only the main activity to be captured. In 2000, the question allowed formultiple answers, but did not distinguish between main and secondary activities and classified persons who ‘soldany’ as market orientated. Thus, a subsistence worker mainly engaged in gardening for home consumption whosometimes fished to sell would be classified as pure-subsistence worker according to 1994 definitions. In 2000,he/she would be classified as a market-oriented worker.Analysis of Economic Activity DataLabor Force ParticipationTable 9.1 reports the total population of working age in Chuuk State for 1994 and 2000. For census year 2000, theworking age population was 31,586, of whom 18,192 persons, or 58 percent, were in the labor force and 13,395, or42 percent, were not in the labor force. This proportion of not in the labor force was the highest among the FSMstates in 1994. Of 8,922 in the employed labor force, three-fifths were engaged in a job or business outside of theagricultural sector. The remaining two-fifths of the employed labor force were engaged in farming and fishing, thegreat majority of whom (88 percent) were involved in 'subsistence' activities only, not selling or intending to sell anyof their produce. This result illustrates the importance of the subsistence sector in Chuuk State and the need toinclude such workers in the definition of the labor force to fully reflect their contribution to the domestic productionof the state. On the other hand, 'market-oriented' farmers and fishermen constituted about 12 out of every 100persons aged 15 and over of the agricultural and fishing sector.By 2000, the total population of working age in Chuuk State was 31,587, of whom 18,192, or 58 percent, were in thelabor force and 13,395, or 42 percent, were not in the labor force. Of the 31,587 potential working-age persons,almost 20 percent (6,213 persons) were unemployed or were looking and available for work and about 38 percent(11,979 persons) were employed in the formal, agriculture and fishing sectors.A comparison of work status by region shows significant variations among regions. In 1994, Northern Namoneas,Mortlocks and Oksoritod had the largest proportions of the working age population in the labor force while Faichukand Southern Namoneas had the smallest portion. Northern Namoneas had a larger proportion of employed persons informal work while the Mortlocks and the Oksoritod had a larger proportion of subsistence in agriculture/fishing. In2000, Southern Namoneas, Faichuk and Mortlocks had the largest proportions of the working age population in thelabor force. Interestingly, Northern Namoneas and Oksoritod had the smaller proportion of employed persons in thelabor force whereas four earlier in 1994, they were the highest.In 1994, nearly 62 percent of the total working age population in Chuuk was not in the labor force. In other words,more than three-fifth of the working age population in Chuuk did not have a job and was not looking for work. Theproportions were higher in the Lagoon Area than in the Outer Islands. Six years later in 2000 the total percentage ofworking age population not in the labor force a week before the census declined to about 42 percent. This suggested animprovement due to a decrease in the proportion of people not in the labor force.76 Chuuk Branch Statistics Office, Division of Statistics, FSM Department of Economic Affairs