Chuuk State Census Report - pacificweb.org

Chapter 9. Economic Activity2000 FSM Census of Chuuk StateUnemploymentTable 9.6 compares Chuuk State's unemployment rate in 1994 and 2000 by gender. The state unemployment ratewas about 20 percent in 1994 compared with about 34 percent in 2000 and showing a higher unemployment rateamong females than males in both census years. In every age bracket, female unemployment rate was higher thanmales: more than 10 percentage points higher in 1994 but less than 5 points in 2000. This illustrates that the gapbetween males and females labor force participation is getting narrower. Additionally, unemployment rate is higherin the younger age brackets than in the older ones, suggesting that unemployment in general was age related, withthe rates declining as age rose in both years.Table 9.6: Unemployment Rates (Percent of Labor Force Unemployed) by Age Group and Sex, Chuuk State: 1994 and 20001994 2000Age group Total Males Females Total Males FemalesTotal 19.9 13.1 34.3 34.2 30.9 38.615 to 19 years 40.0 31.6 56.1 50.5 46.7 55.920 to 24 years 33.4 25.0 46.7 49.8 47.2 53.325 to 29 years 22.2 14.6 36.5 42.5 39.3 46.530 to 34 years 18.0 12.3 30.4 34.0 29.6 39.935 to 39 years 14.8 9.6 25.1 30.8 26.5 36.240 to 44 years 12.3 5.3 27.7 22.0 20.1 24.645 to 49 years 9.3 4.7 21.8 19.3 16.0 24.350 to 54 years 8.1 4.0 19.7 14.5 13.5 16.155 to 59 years 7.8 4.9 17.8 10.8 9.3 13.360 to 64 years 10.6 4.9 32.2 7.4 7.0 8.065 to 69 years 15.9 9.8 32.3 7.7 9.2 5.470 to 74 years 12.0 8.9 21.1 7.0 11.8 -75 yrs & over 14.3 9.4 23.5 7.4 5.8 10.3Source: 1994 FSM Census, Table P132; 2000 FSM Census, Table P9-1.Table 9.7 illustrates the widely reported differences in unemployment rates by age groups in 1994 and 2000 among theregions in Chuuk State, with Faichuk having the highest unemployment rate (36.5 and 30.2 percent) compared with therest of the regions in both census years. Together with their already observed low LFPRs, this result is indicative of thepoor employment and income job opportunities available in Faichuk. As expected, Northern Namoneas had the lowestunemployment rate in Chuuk State in 1994 (14 percent). It was where most businesses and government offices arefound, thus work opportunities there are common. However, by 2000, the unemployment rate in Northern Namoneashad more than doubled its 1994 rate to 30 percent. This is possibly a result of the influx of migrants from the OuterIslands, causing the unemployment rate to rise.Generally, there was an inverse relationship between the unemployment rate and age across the regions for both censusyears. There were some slight variations, but the unemployment rate tended to decrease as age rose. For example, theunemployment rate at age group, 15 to 19 years, were 40 and 50 percent in 1994 and 2000, respectively, as opposed toage group, 55 to 59 years, where the unemployment rate were 8 and 15 percent, respectively.Table 9.7: Unemployment Rates (Percent of Labor Force Unemployed) by Age Groug and Region, Chuuk State: 1994 and 20001994 2000Age group Total N.Namon. S.Namon. Faichuk Mortlocks Oksortod Total N.Namon. S.Namon. Faichuk Mortlocks OksortodTotal 19.9 13.6 22.2 36.5 15.8 14.7 34.2 37.3 23.1 39.8 33.3 37.515 to 19 years 40.0 42.9 44.1 58.8 19.6 16.6 50.5 67.4 31.1 54.7 50.2 48.720 to 24 years 33.4 28.1 35.5 50.5 22.6 30.6 49.8 56.0 32.8 54.8 47.0 55.125 to 29 years 22.2 16.3 27.4 41.1 18.8 10.8 42.5 44.6 32.2 47.7 40.4 46.030 to 34 years 18.0 14.2 18.7 33.9 15.2 11.5 34.0 34.0 24.5 39.8 34.1 40.935 to 39 years 14.8 8.2 17.7 28.1 16.6 9.8 30.8 32.2 22.6 37.8 28.1 32.940 to 44 years 12.3 5.6 15.7 24.4 14.8 11.1 22.0 19.8 17.6 26.1 25.1 24.145 to 49 years 9.3 3.8 11.9 24.5 8.2 3.4 19.3 18.2 15.5 22.3 23.1 19.250 to 54 years 8.1 1.9 5.1 19.4 7.2 11.1 14.5 13.2 9.9 15.8 23.2 10.655 to 59 years 7.8 3.0 7.9 22.4 5.8 2.6 10.8 10.1 3.3 14.8 16.5 10.860 to 64 years 10.6 4.2 2.0 22.4 14.3 16.7 7.4 13.7 - 8.9 7.9 9.165 to 69 years 15.9 4.2 5.6 29.6 14.8 23.5 7.7 11.4 1.2 9.4 17.9 6.370 to 74 years 12.0 11.1 - 26.7 5.3 13.3 7.0 26.7 - 3.1 15.0 -75 yrs & over 14.3 6.7 - - 21.4 33.3 7.4 31.3 - 4.5 - -Source: 1994 FSM Census, Table P132; 2000 FSM Census, Table P9-1Persons who have been unemployed for a year or more are sometimes referred to as the long-term unemployed.They often have difficulty finding jobs as their work-skills will have depreciated and the less likely is it that theywill find new work. Of course, it is not appropriate to label all of these persons as the long term unemployed since,although they are currently unemployed, we do not know for how much of the time since they last worked have theybeen seeking work.80 Chuuk Branch Statistics Office, Division of Statistics, FSM Department of Economic Affairs