Labour Force Survey

The economically active population, or labour force, is the part of a country’s human resources that contributes to the production of goods and the provision of services in a country. The economic and social development of a country depends on the number of persons who are economically active, the quality of their work and the regularity of their job. The primary objective of a labour force survey is to provide labour market statistics for development. The findings of the Tonga Labour Force Survey 2018 (TLFS 2018) will enhance monitoring and evaluation of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework (TSDF), Ministerial Strategic Plans, Budget briefs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with respect to economic growth and reduced unemployment.

The TLFS 2018 was conducted as a joint exercise between the Tonga Statistics Department and the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development (MTED) and was funded by the Government of Tonga. The survey was more comprehensive in coverage than the TLFS 2003 and followed latest international guidelines from the ILO.

Currently employed

28,598

Currently unemployed

906

Employment Indicators 2018

Employed population by region, age group and sex (% of total employed)

  • A total of 28,598 persons were in employment in 2018 of which 16,153 (56.5 percent) were men and 12,445 (43.5 percent) were women (Table 5.1 on page 22). More than half of the population in employment (50.8 per cent) was located in Tongatapu Rural, and almost one quarter (24.0 per cent) was located in Tongatapu Rural. The remaining quarter was located in other island divisions. Out of the 28,598 persons that were in employment, 4,131 persons (14.4 per cent) were youth aged between 15 and 24.

 Tonga Labour Force Survey reports

Contact Person: Lupe Moala Tupou