Rate of unemployment rises to 28 percent in the Maldives

The results of the Household and Income and Expenses survey 2009-2010 showed that rate of unemployment had increased from 14.4 percent in 2006 to 28 percent in 2010. Compared to global unemployment rates the unemployment rate of the Maldives stands at 12 percent.

In 2010 the rate of unemployment in Male stood at 24 percent while unemployment in the atolls rose to 31 percent, with unemployment most common in the 15-19-year-old population.

The most common reasons for unemployment are not being able to obtain an appropriate job and a lack of job opportunities.

According to the study out of unemployed men 51 percent remains so due to the unavailability of an appropriate job, while 16 percent are unemployed due to other obstacles in obtaining a job. Another 15 percent of are unemployed due to insufficient job opportunities. Almost 10 percent of unemployed men are receiving education while another seven percent are unable to work due to health conditions. One percent of men also do not work because they earn income from another source.

Around 40 percent of women are unemployed due to the unavailability of an appropriate job while 22 percent cannot work due to obligations at home. Five percent of unemployed women are so due to health issues while 12 percent are unemployed because of insufficient job opportunities.

Three percent of women according to the study do not work due to family disapproval and eight percent of unemployed women are involved in studying, which is also the same figure for those unable to obtain a job due to other reasons. Two percent of women are unemployed as they earn income from another source.