The economically active population is defined as the number of persons aged 15 and above, who are employed or unemployed during the reference week. The report also states that the economically inactive population is 7.37 million.

Further, the Report states that labour force participation by the third quarter of 2017 in the country was 53.6. Of this, the male labour force participation rate is 73.6, while female labour force participation rate is 36.6, indicating 37-point differences between male to female participation rates.

However, compared with a female labour force participation rate of 32.9 in 2012, there is a gradual increase over the years, although male participation in labour has always been higher than that of females.

Labour force participation rate is the labour force population expressed as a percentage of the population aged 15 years and over.

Director General of Census and Statistics, Dr A.J. Satharasinghe said field work for the third quarter survey was conducted from July to September last year and it covered the entire country.

“Nationally representative annual samples of about 25,750 housing units were selected for the survey in 2017.

This report is based on a quarterly sample of 6,440 housing units,” he said