Jobs provider to thousands

Jo-Maré Duddy – The mining and quarrying sector last year provided jobs to 12 087 people or nearly 1.7% of Namibia’s total working population.

This is a deterioration from 2016 when the sector employed nearly 2.2% of the working population, data from the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) shows.

Of the more than 12 000 people employed last year, 9 943 or 82% were men. The sector provided jobs to 2 144 women.

According to the Namibia Labour Force Survey 2018, there were 348 employers in the mining and quarrying sector last year. Employees totalled 10 868, while 202 people were self-employed.

The average monthly wage in the sector was N$17 963, making it the second best-paid industry to work in. Compared to 2016, the mean monthly wage was N$3 611 or 25% higher.

A total of 4 516 people were youth aged 15 to 34 – 3 673 men and 843 women. This is 3 102 or nearly 41% less than 2016.

Men’s average monthly wage last year was N$18 315, N$2 379 or 15% more than that of women.

Nearly 75% or 9 034 of employees were entitled to paid leave, while nearly 74% or 8 931 received paid sick leave.