Lanka’s employed population crosses 8 million in 2025
Female unemployment remains higher Services sector accounts for nearly half of jobs Monthly-paid males earn higher average salaries Literacy rate at 93.3% Sri Lanka’s employed population surpassed eight million in 2025, reaching 8,079,040, while the country’s unemployment rate declined to 3.9% from 4.4% the previous year, according to the latest labour force survey released by […]
In 2025, Sri Lanka's employed population reached 8,079,040, surpassing the eight million mark. The labour force participation rate stood at 49.4%, with males comprising 5,299,777 of the employed population and females accounting for 2,779,262. The overall unemployment rate decreased to 3.9%, down from 4.4% the previous year, as reported by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS).
Males accounted for a larger share of employed individuals, with a labour force participation rate of 69.1%, compared to 32.4% for females. The higher unemployment rate among females was attributed to 6.1% of employed females being unemployed, compared to 2.8% of males. Female unemployment among those aged 25 to 29 was particularly high at 17.1%.
The services sector remained the primary source of employment, constituting 49.8% of total jobs, up from 48.5% in 2024. The industrial sector contributed 26.2%, while agriculture accounted for 23.9%. This shift towards the services sector was reflected in the decrease in the agricultural sector's share of employment.
The average gross monthly salary for monthly-paid employees was Rs. 65,325, with males earning Rs. 70,942 and females earning Rs. 57,867. A significant number of employed persons held a second job, with 439,839 or 5.4% of the total employed population working multiple jobs.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
