III. LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

Employment through Government Labour Offices

The number of persons registered for work and placed in employment by the Government Labour Offices in Myanmar is shown in table 3.01. In 2005, there are 77 labour offices throughout the country.

Labour Force Survey, 1990

Results of the labour force survey conducted in 1990 by the Department of Labour are shown in Table 3.02 through Table 3.06. Table 3.02 shows economically active population and inactive population by activity status for 1973, 1983 and 1990 and Table 3.03 provides economically active population by sex and area of residence for 1990.

Table 3.04 refers to labour force participation rates by sex, broad age groups and urban-rural residence for 1973, 1983 and 1990 while Table 3.05 shows distribution of employed population by occupation and industry for 1990.

Table 3.06 presents labour force, unemployment rates and visible underemployment rates. "Unemployed" refers to persons who are not employed but are available for or seeking paid work. Visible underemployment is primarily a statistical concept directly measurable by labour force and other surveys, reflecting an insufficiency in the volume of employment. It occurs when a person is in employment of less than normal duration and is seeking or would accept additional work. This table used the time utilization approach as well as the usual status approach to estimate the rate of visible underemployment in Myanmar. It should be noted that the standard of 44 hours per week in the time utilization approach and 6 months for the previous year in the usual status approach are rather arbitrary.

Social Security Scheme

Social security scheme was introduced in the Union of Myanmar by Act No. 76 of 1954 which came into effect on 1st January 1956.

Employees in most occupations are covered by compulsory insurance, irrespective of the nature of work in which they are engaged, whether it be permanent or temporary, manual or otherwise, and irrespective of the amount and form of their remuneration. Unpaid apprentices and trainees are also protected but the rates of cash benefits are low.

Benefits

Social Security Act of 1954 consists of two types of insurance, namely (1) General Insurance which includes sickness, maternity, death, and (2) Employment Injuries Insurance which includes temporary disability, permanent disability and survivor's pension. Cash benefits under various insurance schemes are shown below:

Sickness Benefit

Daily sickness cash benefits approximating to 50% of wages are payable for a maximum period of 26 weeks for each spell of sickness.

Maternity Benefit

Daily maternity benefits approximating to 66.6 % of wages are payable for 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after confinement with a maximum duration of 26 weeks.

Funeral Grant

Funeral grant of Kyat 200 for each insured person was given to the surviving relative or to any other person who actually incurred expenses for the deceased worker's funeral, irrespective of the cause of death. This amount has been raised to Kyat 1000 with effect from 15 December, 1993.

Temporary Disability Benefit

This is payable for loss of earnings as a result of employment accident. Approximately two-thirds of the wages are payable as benefits for the duration of incapacity for work or up to 52 weeks when permanent disability benefit or pension is granted.

Permanent Disability Pension

If an insured person suffers a total or partial loss of earning capacity which is likely to be permanent, a monthly pension is paid. All persons are to be paid monthly in advance, free of tax.