Pakistan's labour force expands to 83.1 million: Economic Survey

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jun, 2026) The labour force in Pakistan expanded significantly during 2024-25, reflecting a growing working-age population and increased participation in economic activities, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26 released by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday.

The survey revealed that Pakistan's working-age population increased from 159.8 million in 2020-21 to 179.6 million in 2024-25. During the same period, the country's labour force grew from 71.8 million to 83.1 million, indicating a substantial increase in the number of people entering the job market.

According to the latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2024-25, the employed labour force rose from 67.25 million to 77.2 million, reflecting the creation of nearly 10 million jobs over the past four years. However, the number of unemployed persons also increased from 4.51 million to 5.

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9 million, resulting in the unemployment rate rising from 6.3 percent to 7.1 percent.

The Economic Survey 2025-26, revealed by the Ministry of Finance, noted that the labour force participation rate improved from 44.9 percent to 46.3 percent, indicating greater engagement of the population, particularly youth and women, in economic activities.

The report stated that while employment opportunities have expanded, the increase in unemployment highlights the need for faster job creation to match the pace of labour force growth and the rapidly expanding working-age population.

The survey also pointed to a gradual structural transformation in Pakistan's economy. Agriculture, forestry and fishing remained the largest source of employment, although its share declined from 37.4 percent in 2020-21 to 33.1 percent in 2024-25, reflecting a shift of workers towards non-farm sectors.