BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei’s unemployment rate fell to 4.7 per cent in 2024, down from 5.1 per cent the previous year, as more locals secured jobs in both the public and private sectors, according to the latest Labour Force Survey released by the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS).
The decline in unemployment comes as the country’s employed population rose by 2.9 per cent, reaching 222,300 people — a notable increase from 216,000 in 2023. The boost was largely driven by strong job growth in the private sector, which recorded a 4.0 per cent increase, compared to 0.3 per cent in the public sector.
Among sectors, the wholesale and retail trade industry led with an 18.3 per cent jump in employment, followed by construction (15.8 per cent) and accommodation and food services (13.5 per cent) — signalling rising demand and business activity in domestic services and infrastructure.
Of the total labour force of 233,200 persons aged 18 and over, 95.3 per cent were employed, while 10,900 people remained unemployed. The majority of those unemployed had secondary education or below (54.1 per cent), and those aged 25 to 64 years made up nearly 60 per cent of the unemployed population.
Meanwhile, more than half of local workers (58 per cent) were employed in the private sector, showing a steady shift away from public sector reliance. By field of employment, locals were mainly employed in public administration (26.0 per cent), wholesale and retail trade (12.6 per cent), and education (12.1 per cent).
In terms of occupation, the largest group were service and sales workers (25.6 per cent), followed by professionals (22.5 per cent) and technicians and associate professionals (15.4 per cent).
The survey also showed an increase in the average working hours per week to 46.5 hours, up from 45.8 hours in 2023. A small portion (1.9 per cent) of the employed population reported having a secondary job or income-generating activity.
The full LFS 2024 Final Report is available on the DEPS website. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
