NBS report states that 88% of workers are self-employed.

As of the end of the second quarter of 2023, just 12% of Nigerian workers were paid, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

This is due to the fact that 88% of all employees in the nation work for themselves. This was mentioned in a report that the NBS released on Thursday and was titled “Nigeria Labour Force Statistics Report Q2 2023.”

As of Q2, 2023, the total unemployment rate for the period was 4.2%. The percentage of the labour force (the sum of the unemployed and employed) that is not employed but is actively looking for work is known as the unemployment rate, according to the statistics body.

The statement read, “The unemployment rate for the second quarter of 2023 was 4.2%, a slight increase from the 4.1% reported for the first quarter of 2023. In Q2 2023, the rate of unemployment by gender for men was 3.5%, while it was 5.9% for women. When broken down by region, the unemployment rate was 2.5% in rural areas and 5.9% in urban areas.

In Q2 2023, the NBS reported that the unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 to 24 was 7.2%. According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, it has improved its methods for gathering data on the labour market using the Nigeria Labour Force Survey in compliance with guidelines set forth by the International Labour Organisation. The data on unemployment indicates that the majority of Nigerians are either self-employed or involved in farming.

According to the national statistics body, there are two main types of employment: self-employed people and employees. It clarified that the term “employee” refers to those who work for pay in the form of salaries and wages paid in cash or in kind, including paid apprentices, while the term “self-employed” refers to own-account workers, contributing family workers, and employers.

It made the following comment about this category: “In Q2 2023, 88.0 percent of Nigerians in employment were primarily self-employed, with the remaining 12.0 percent being employed full-time.

When broken down by gender, 85.2 percent of working men and 91.0 percent of working women were independent contractors. When broken down by region, 85.5% of working adults in cities and 95.3% of working adults in rural areas were independent contractors.

“The proportion of workers in wage employment in Q2 2023 was 12%,” the statement continued. At present, the percentage of informal employment in Nigeria stands at 92.7%.

Since altering its method of calculating employment, the NBS has faced criticism. Through its National Secretary-General, the Nigerian Labour Congress declared that its “4.1 percent” unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2023 did not accurately represent the state of affairs in the nation at the time.

Chris Onyeka, the national secretary, stated that “the statistic is not reliable.” That’s all there is to it. It is out of time with what is actually happening. Everyone is aware that Nigeria’s unemployment rate is rising.