This is true for both males and females and is particularly evident in the rural areas. It is evident that between 1992 and 1997 there were very real changes whilst from 1997 to 1999 things have remained much the same. The drop is most evident in the rural areas and particularly among males. An examination of own account worker rates highlights the changes in the economic activities of the population. All sectors show large increases.
Unemployment rates show substantial decreases in all sectors.
Finally we investigate any changes among those who are not economically active, summarised in the figure below for the years 1992,1997 and 1999. Again there are large differences between 1992 and 1997, which in turn is similar to 1999. The proportion of homemakers decreased between 1992 and 1997 but is on the increase again. The proportion in retirement is definitely decreasing, confirming the observation above that the older people are remaining economically active for longer. It is interesting to note that the proportion engaged in study appears to have increased since 1992, although there was a decrease from 1997 to 1999.