Malawi is set to undertake a labor force survey to assess employment and unemployment rates, offering policymakers essential insights for directing their efforts towards specific regions.
This initiative comes in response to the revelation that government and stakeholders have been making decisions in the labor force based on a decade-old survey from 2013.
In an interview with MIJ Online Lizzie Chikoti, Chief Statistician at National Statistical Office said relying on outdated statistics had led authorities to make decisions based on out of date information.
Chikoti emphasized the pivotal role of statistics in shaping policy, decision-making, and the critical task of monitoring and evaluation.
Meanwhile, Elwin Sichiola, Executive Director of TEVETA, says the survey will reveal skills gaps in each district and this knowledge will enable TEVETA to design skills development programs tailored to the specific needs of diverse sectors across the country.
In the meantime, the National Statistical Office has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding worth 40 million kwacha with the Technical Entrepreneurial Vocational Training Authority, enabling the NSO to carry out a labor force survey in Malawi.
