Unpaid Family Workers in
Pakistan
Presented in the Global Forum on
‘Gender Statistics’
held from 26th to 28th January 2009 in
Accra, Ghana
1
Introduction

Rising global concerns with the deteriorating quality of female employment
have lead to the inclusion of the proportion of unpaid female as family
workers in the employed, as one of the targets of the Millennium
Development Goals.

Unemployment rate in Pakistan reported in the Labour Force Survey
released by Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) touched to 8.3 percent in
2001-02.

Unemployment declined to 7.7 percent in 2003-04 and subsequently to 6.2
percent by 2005-06.
2
 There was a rise in the proportion of unpaid family workers in
total employment. It increased from 20.8 percent in 2001-02 to
nearly 27 percent in 2005-06.
 Overall employment increased at the rate of 3.44 percent per
annum during 2001-02 and 2005-06, unpaid family workers
grew more than twice the rate at 8.91 percent per annum.
3
Unpaid Family Workers by Industry Divisions

A substantial majority of unpaid family workers were employed in the
agricultural sector in the years 2001-2 and 2005-06.

In 2001-02, 77.2 percent of the unpaid family workers were employed in
the agriculture sector, which increased to nearly 91 percent in 2005-06.

Between 2001-02 and 2005-06, an additional 3.86 million jobs were
generated for unpaid family workers in agriculture.

Next highest percentage of unpaid family workers has been found in the
whole sale/retail trade and manufacturing sectors in both the years.
Table-1: Unpaid Family Workers by Industry
(Results of Labour Force Survey)
LFS 2001-02
Type of
Industry
Perce
nt
LFS 2005-06
4
Additional
Employment
In
Million
Percen
t
In
Million
Percent
In
Million
Agriculture
77.20
Forestry, Hunting
and fishing
6.37
80.96
10.23
3.86
88.03
Manufacturing
6.71
0.55
5.68
0.72
0.16
3.73
Whole sales and
Retail Trade and
Restaurants and
Hotels
10.69
0.88
9.40
1.19
0.31
6.97
Community,
Social and
Personal Services
3.63
0.30
2.59
0.33
0.03
0.65
Unpaid Family Workers by Rural/Urban

5
The proportion of unpaid family helpers in the rural areas increased from
85.4 percent in 2001-02 to 87.2 percent in 2005-06.

In absolute terms, a total of 3.97 million jobs were generated for unpaid
family workers in rural areas between 2001-02 and 2005-06.
Table-2
LFS 2001-02
LFS 2005-06
Additional Employment
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
Urban
14.60
1.20
12.82
1.62
0.41
9.46
Rural
85.40
7.05
87.18
11.02
3.97
90.54
Total
100.00
8.25
100.00
12.64
4.38
100.00
Unpaid Family Workers by Formal, Informal
and Agricultural Sector


6
Data on unpaid family workers by sector of employment shows that the
share of unpaid family workers in the non-agricultural formal sector
declined drastically rom 3.2 percent in 2001-02 to just 0.8 percent by
2005-06.
There was an increase of 0.7 million workers in the informal sector during
the period under review.
Table-3
LFS 2001-02
LFS 2005-06
Additional Employment
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
Agriculture
77.20
6.37
80.96
10.23
3.86
88.03
Formal
3.21
0.27
0.78
0.10
-0.17
-3.81
Informal
19.59
1.62
18.27
2.31
0.69
15.78
Total
100.00
8.25
100.00
12.64
4.38
100.00
7
Unpaid Family Workers by Age

The unpaid family workers by age group shows that youth make up the
highest proportion of unpaid family workers (47.0%).

Following youth, adults comprise the highest proportion of unpaid family
workers, with their share rising marginally from 39.2 percent to 40.5
percent during the same period.

The share of children increased significantly from 13.8 percent to 16.6
percent.
 The youth (15-24 year) participation in unpaid family women
workers declined from 47 to 43 percent.
8
Table-4: Unpaid Family Workers by Age
Age group
(in years)
LFS 2001-02
Percent
LFS 2005-06
In Million Percent
Additional
Employment
In
Million
Percent
In
Million
10-14
13.81
1.14
16.59
2.10
0.96
21.81
15-24
47.02
3.88
42.92
5.42
1.54
35.19
25 &
above
39.17
3.23
40.50
5.12
1.88
43.00
Total
100.00
8.25
100.00
12.64
4.38
100.00
9
Unpaid Family Workers by Educational Attainment

The distribution of unpaid family workers by educational attainment shows that a substantial
majority had no formal education

This was followed by unpaid family workers who have completed primary level of schooling,
with their share declining with each successive level of education.

The largest number of additional employment was created for unpaid family workers with no
formal education.
Table-5
Educational
level
LFS 2001-02
LFS 2005-06
Additional Employment
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
No Formal Education
56.39
4.65
57.22
7.23
2.58
58.80
Below Primary
5.06
0.42
7.03
0.89
0.47
10.74
Primary
16.31
1.35
15.38
1.94
0.60
13.64
Middle
10.11
0.83
9.38
1.19
0.35
8.02
Matric
8.73
0.72
7.70
0.97
0.25
5.77
Above Matric
3.41
0.28
3.28
0.41
0.13
3.03
100.00
8.25
100.00
12.64
4.38
100.00
Total
10
Unpaid Family Workers by Hours of work, Sex
and Region
 The break-up of unpaid family workers by hours of work
reveals that in both 2001-02 and 2005-06, a very high share of
them is working for 35 hours and above in a week.
 The percentage of unpaid family workers working for less than
35 hours, recorded an increase of 4.6 percentage points.
 In case of unpaid family workers working below 35 hours a
week, there was a considerable urban-rural divide due to
increase in the share of rural unpaid family workers.
11
 A higher proportion of urban unpaid family workers (44.6
percent) were found to be working between 35-48 hours in
2001-02.
 The highest proportion of female unpaid family workers were
working below 35 hours a week.
 The share of female unpaid family workers working between
35-48 hours increased from 38.6 percent in 2001-02 to 42.4
percent in 2005-06.
 The proportion engaged in excessive hours of work declined
slightly from 10 percent to 8.5 percent during 2002-06.
12
Table-6 Unpaid Family Workers by Hours of work, Sex and Region
Hours
LFS 2001-02
LFS 2005-06
Overall
Male
Female
Urban
Rural
Overall
Male
Female
Urban
Rural
Not
Worked
0.33
0.37
0.23
0.29
0.34
0.48
0.34
0.68
0.49
0.48
Less than
35
27.06
15.23
51.12
18.33
28.55
31.62
19.00
48.46
18.54
33.55
35-48
hours
41.63
42.96
38.63
44.64
41.00
42.29
42.21
42.38
38.82
42.80
49 &
above
31.08
41.43
10.02
39.75
30.11
25.61
38.45
8.48
42.15
23.18
Total
100.00
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
13
Unpaid Family Workers by Gender

The unprecedented rise in the share of unpaid family workers among the
employed between 2001-02 and 2005-06 is due to increase in the number of
females employed as unpaid family workers.

It increased by 10 percentage points from 33 percent in 2001-02 to 43
percent by 2005-06.
Table-7
LFS 2001-02
LFS 2005-06
Additional Employment
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
Percent
In Million
Male
67.05
5.53
57.14
7.22
1.69
38.48
Female
32.95
2.72
42.86
5.42
2.70
61.52
Total
100.00
8.25
100.00
12.64
4.38
100.00
14
Unpaid Family Workers Reported in the Censuses of
Pakistan

Unpaid family workers in Pakistan were found at 15.0 percent, 17.7 percent
in rural areas compared to a little 4.7 percent in urban areas in 1981
Population Census of Pakistan.

As per 1998 Population Census share of unpaid family workers declined to
5.9 percent in Pakistan, 7.9 percent in rural areas and 2.8 percent in urban
respectively.
Table-8
Census
Total
Rural
Urban
1981
15 %
17.7 %
4.7%
1998
5.9 %
7.9 %
2.8%
References
Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2001-02, and 2005-06, Federal
Bureau of Statistics, Statistic Division, Government of Pakistan.
Census Reports of Pakistan, 1973, 1981 and 1998.
Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan.
Unpaid Family Workers: Unravelling the Mystry of Falling
Unemployment. Discussion Paper Serier No.17 Centre for
Research on Poverty Reduction and Income Distribution,
Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan