Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) unveiled groundbreaking data on Wednesday showing that the vast majority of jobs and a significant portion of the nation’s economic output come from the informal, or “Non-Observed,” sector.
The findings were presented to high-level representatives from key institutions including the National Revenue Authority, the Bank of Sierra Leone, and the Ministry of Finance.
The data comes from the new Employment and Remuneration Matrix (ERM), a tool designed to improve the accuracy of the country’s economic statistics.
According to the ERM, the Non-Observed Economy (NOE)—which includes informal and hard-to-measure activities—accounts for a staggering 95.1% of all jobs in Sierra Leone. This sector is also the dominant force in the nation’s GDP, contributing 78.8%.
In contrast, the formal, or “Observed,” Economy represents just 4.9% of jobs and contributes 21.2% to GDP.
The data also provided a detailed gender breakdown within the informal sector. Females hold 49.7% of the jobs in the NOE but contribute 34% to its GDP, while males hold 45.4% of the jobs and contribute 44.8% to its GDP.
Statistician General and CEO of Stats SL, Andrew Bob Johnny, underscored the importance of this data. He stated it is vital for shaping labour market policy, promoting inclusive growth, and monitoring Sustainable Development Goals.
Maira Caño-Guiral, an IMF Consultant, presented the technical findings, noting that the detailed gender-disaggregated data makes Sierra Leone one of the few countries with such a comprehensive dataset.
The ERM is expected to serve as a critical foundation for evidence-based policy-making, GDP estimation, and efforts to integrate informal workers into the formal economy.
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