Estimating the world at work

What is the work status of the world's working age population? This paper presents estimates of a breakdown on employment in services, industry, and agriculture and unemployment in the world and subgroups thereof.

Addressing the question, "What is the work status of the world's working age population and subgroups thereof?" Filmer gathers data for many countries and infers data where it is missing (which requires making "heroic assumptions"). The results are of course only as good as the data are representative and accurate. Data are least reliable for Sub Saharan Africa.

The high income group is dominated (in population) by the United States, Germany, and Japan, which account for 58 percent of that group's working age population.

The middle income group is dominated by Indonesia, the Russian Federation, and Brazil, which account for 40 percent of that group's working age population.

The low income group is dominated by China and India, which account for 70 percent of that group's working age population.

Among other things, Filmer's charts and tables show the breakdown on working age employment in services, industry, agriculture and unemployment in various parts of the world.

This paper a product of the Office of the Vice President, Development Economics was prepared as a background paper for World Development Report 1995 on labor. Copies of this paper are available free from the World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433. Please contact Michael Geller, room T7079, telephone 2024731393, fax 2026760652, Internet address mgeller@worldbank.org (42 pages)

The full report is available on the World Bank FTP server