Total employment

Definition & unit

Period & geography

Total employment, including foreign workers, Republic of Mauritius, 1983–2025 · annual

Total employment, including foreign workers: Annual observations · Republic of Mauritius

Notes from the API

• Coverage note, from 1983

  Republic of Mauritius, by inference. The historical series states no geographic scope. Table 1.1's note 1 names its sources: the Continuous Multi-Purpose Household Survey (CMPHS), which covers 'all private Mauritian households in the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues', and the Survey of Employment and Earnings, whose industry tables include Rodrigues from March 1991. The Year 2025 release describes the survey's estimates as those of 'the Mauritian population aged 16 years and above in the Republic of Mauritius; foreign workers are not included'. None of the labour files names Agalega or St Brandon, so whether they are covered is not known.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Table 1.1 note 1; CMPHS Methodology_211123.pdf, item 3; LF_Emp_Unemp_Yr25_190526.pdf, paragraph 1; HS_SEE_Yr25_241125.xlsx, Tables 2.1(b)-(c) headings

• Discrepancy note, from 1983

  Two measures of employment in large establishments. Table 1.1's employment 'in large establishments' is part of a compiled annual estimate; the Survey of Employment and Earnings' Tables 2.1 count employment in March. Rounded to Table 1.1's decimal they agree only in 1995, 2024 and 2025 (2023: 0.1 thousand apart). Table 1.1 is higher by up to 12.2 thousand in 1983–1990, when Table 2.1(a) excludes foreign workers and Rodrigues, and lower by as much as 5.9 thousand in 2017. They are different measures and are never compared.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Table 1.1; HS_SEE_Yr25_241125.xlsx, Tables 2.1(a)-(d) totals

• Coverage note, 1990–1999

  Ages 12 and above, as printed: Tables 1.3(a) and 1.3(b) note '(c) Estimates refer to population aged 12 years and above' for 1990-1994 and 1995-1999, although Table 1.1's title says '16 years and over' for its whole span. The figures are served as published. The file states no age limit for 1983-1989 other than that title.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Tables 1.3(a)-(b) note (c) and Table 1.1 title

• Coverage note, from 1995

  The industrial groups change classification: 1990–1994 follow ISIC Rev. 2 of 1968 (Tables 1.2(a), 1.3(a)); 1995–2006 the National Standard Industrial Classification (NSIC), 'an adaptation of the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities, Revision 3 of 1990' (Tables 1.2(b)-(d), 1.3(b)-(d)). Each classification has its own vocabulary and no industrial group is compared across the change. Table 1.1's total is printed as one series across it.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, notes to Tables 1.2(a)-(d) and 1.3(a)-(d)

• Definition change note, from 2000

  Age limit. The publisher dates the change to ages 16 and over three ways: Tables 1.3(a)-(b) state 'Estimates refer to population aged 12 years and above' for 1990–1999; Tables 1.4-1.5, note 3, say 'Employment figures refer to population aged 16 years & over for years 2000 onwards'; the Year 2025 release, the 1st Quarter 2026 release and the CMPHS methodology say 'as from year 2007, labour force estimates are based on population aged 16 years and above, following the amendment to the Labour Act in December 2006'. Table 1.1's title says '16 years and over' for 1983–2025. The definition changes at 2000, the date the historical series itself prints, so 1999 and 2000 are not compared.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Tables 1.3(a)-(b) note (c), Tables 1.4-1.5 note 3 and Table 1.1 title; LF_Emp_Unemp_Yr25_190526.pdf, 'Definitions of terms' footnote 1; LF_Emp_Unemp_1Qtr26_300626.pdf, Annex 2 item 2; CMPHS Methodology_211123.pdf, 'Employment'

• Revision note, 2001–2021

  'Revised figures as from 2001 onwards in line with Population Census 2011' (Table 1.2(e), note 3). Tables 1.2(c)-(d) and 1.3(c)-(d), for 2000-2006, note 'Revised figures in line with Population Census 2011' without a start year.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Table 1.2(e) note 3 and Tables 1.2(c)-(d), 1.3(c)-(d) note (i)

• Discrepancy note, 2003

  2003: Table 1.2(c) prints a Total row of 491.7 thousand (male 326.6, female 165.1), while its own industrial groups add up to 490.2 (326.8 and 163.4), the total Tables 1.1, 1.3(c) and 1.4 also print. Table 1.1 owns total employment, so 490.2 is served and Table 1.2(c)'s Total row is not loaded.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Table 1.2(c) Total row and industrial groups for 2003; Tables 1.1, 1.3(c), 1.4

• Coverage note, from 2004

  Survey changes, 2004-2005. 'From 1999 to 2003, around 6,500 households were covered each year. In 2004, the sample was increased to 8,640 so that reliable quarterly estimates of labour force, employment and unemployment could be worked out. As from 2005, the sample for the year has been further increased to 11,280.' Data were collected every quarter in 2004 and monthly from 2005, and from 2005 the Relative Development Index replaced the urban, semi-urban and rural locations as the first-stage stratification.

  CMPHS Methodology_211123.pdf, items 2, 4 and 5; LF_Emp_Unemp_Yr25_190526.pdf, methodology item 2

• Discrepancy note, 2004

  2004: Table 1.4 holds unrounded sector values, whose sums by sex print as 329.3 thousand for males and 163.5 for females, where Tables 1.1 and 1.2(c) print 329.4 and 163.4. The sums for both sexes agree. Every figure is served as published.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Table 1.4 rows for 2004; Tables 1.1 and 1.2(c)

• Coverage note, from 2006

  Reference week. 'Up to 2005, the reference period for data on labour force was the last week of the survey month. As from 2006, the reference week has been changed to the second week of the survey month.'

  LF_Emp_Unemp_Yr25_190526.pdf, methodology item 2

• Discrepancy note, from 2007

  The releases and the survey's methodology date ages 16 and over 'as from year 2007', following the amendment to the Labour Act in December 2006; the historical series dates it from 2000 (Tables 1.4-1.5, note 3). The series is served as published: comparisons across 2006 and 2007 are allowed, and the definition change is recorded at 2000.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Tables 1.4-1.5 note 3; LF_Emp_Unemp_Yr25_190526.pdf, 'Definitions of terms' footnote 1; LF_Emp_Unemp_1Qtr26_300626.pdf, Annex 2 item 2; CMPHS Methodology_211123.pdf, 'Employment'

• Coverage note, from 2007

  The industrial groups change classification: from 2007 the NSIC Rev. 2, 'an adaptation of the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities, Revision 4 of 2007' (Tables 1.2(e)-(f), 1.3(e)-(f)). 'As from March 2012, publications are according to the National Standard Industrial Classification (NSIC), Revision 2 ... Previous classification used was the National Standard Industrial Classification (NSIC), based on ISIC, Rev. 3 of 1990.' The Year 2025 release adds: 'For comparison purposes, employment estimates for previous years have been worked out using the revised classifications. There are changes in the employment estimates at industrial group level; hence they are not strictly comparable. The overall employment estimates are however not affected.' Each classification has its own vocabulary and no industrial group is compared across the change.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, 'Explanations' item 3 and notes to Tables 1.2(e)-(f), 1.3(e)-(f); LF_Emp_Unemp_Yr25_190526.pdf, 'Implementation of classifications'

• Discrepancy note, 2009–2015

  2009–2015: in Table 1.3(e) the large and other-than-large parts of some industrial groups do not add up to the group's total employment (Table 1.2(e)): manufacturing (2009: 82.9 + 24.1 = 107.0 against 104.5) with its textiles and other manufacturing parts, wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities in every year 2009–2015, and information and communication in 2015. Its large establishments add up to 313.3 thousand in 2014 and 313.5 in 2015, against Table 1.1's 313.5 and 314.1. Every figure is served as published.

  HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Tables 1.3(e), 1.2(e) and 1.1, 2009-2015

• Discrepancy note, 2012–2021

  Not revised on the 2022 Census in this series. The Year 2025 release (19 May 2026) says: 'As from the first quarter 2025, labour force, employment and unemployment estimates are published based on population figures revised according to the 2022 population census results. Prior estimates have been revised for the period 2012 to 2024.' The historical series (25 September 2026) marks only 2022–2024 as revised on that census, and for 2012–2021 it differs from the release: the release prints 2015 employment of 534,000 (male 330,500, female 203,500), where this series' Mauritian labour force minus the unemployed gives 538,300 (333,800 and 204,500), and unemployment rates of 9.1% in 2020 and, for women, 11.0% in 2020 and 10.5% in 2021, where this series prints 9.2, 11.1 and 10.6. Every figure is served as published.

  LF_Emp_Unemp_Yr25_190526.pdf, paragraph 2 and Tables 10, 11 and 18; HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Table 1.1 and its note 3

• Coverage note, 2020–2022

  Telephone interviews. 'Following the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, the face-to-face interviews of household members were replaced by telephone interviews. As from January 2023, face-to-face interviews have been resumed.' In 2020 the survey was carried out only in May, June, July, September, October and December.

  CMPHS Methodology_211123.pdf, items 1 and 2

• Revision note, 2022

  2022, revised between editions: the 1st Quarter 2026 release's Annex 3 (30 June 2026) prints a Mauritian labour force of 553.5 thousand and total employment of 537.8; the historical series (25 September 2026) prints 553.1 and 537.4. Both mark 2022 as revised on the 2022 Census. The later publication is served.

  LF_Emp_Unemp_1Qtr26_300626.pdf, Annex 3; HS_Labour_Yr90-Yr25_250926.xls, Table 1.1

• Coverage note, from 2023

  Survey design from 2023: the Relative Development Index strata were redrawn on the 2022 Housing and Population Census 'such that each geographical district has four even strata', and the households selected in each sampling unit in Rodrigues rose from 10 to 15, the sample size unchanged.

  CMPHS Methodology_211123.pdf, item 4

Calculations supplied by the API

provisional · T1.1 1983-2025 / Table 1.1 / both sexes / row 48 '2025 4' / column 'total'

Source publications