FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION

The labour force participation rate is a measure of the active portion of an economy's labour force. It refers to the number of people who are either employed or are actively looking for work. Globally only 50 per cent of women of working age are in the labour force, compared to 77 per cent of men. The gender gap in labour force participation remains especially large in Northern Africa, Western Asia and Southern Asia.

In Nigeria there are notable variations in the proportion of women participating in the labour force by place of residence and by zone. Urban women are slightly more likely to participate than rural women. Participation is highest in the South West zone, especially in Ogun, where the labour force participation rate is 82 percent as compared to 58 percent of women in the nation’s capital (FCT-Abuja). Women in Yobe and Borno are least likely to be currently involved in the labour market (34 percent and 29 percent, respectively).