Employment Status

The 2014 CDHS included a number of questions regarding respondents’ employment status, including whether they worked in the seven days preceding the survey and, if not, whether they worked in the 12 months before the survey. Employment status results for women and men are presented in Tables 5.5.1 and 5.5.2.

Table 5.5.1 Employment status: Women

Percent distribution of women age 15-49 by employment status, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014

Employed in the 12 months

preceding the survey Not employed in the 12 months

preceding the

survey Total Number of women Married or living together 71.3 10.1 18.6 100.0 11,898 Divorced/separated/ Battambang/Pailin 46.0 8.8 45.1 100.0 1,333 Kampot/Kep 52.5 35.1 12.4 100.0 770

1 Currently employed is defined as having done work in the past seven days. Includes persons who did not work in the past seven days but who are regularly employed and were absent from work for leave, illness, vacation, or any other such reason.

56 • Respondent Characteristics

Table 5.5.2 Employment status: Men

Percent distribution of men age 15-49 by employment status, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014 Employed in the 12 months

preceding the survey Not employed in the 12 months Battambang/Pailin 88.6 7.7 3.7 100.0 405 Kampot/Kep 89.0 0.0 11.0 100.0 241

1 Currently employed is defined as having done work in the past seven days. Includes persons who did not work in the past seven days but who are regularly employed and were absent from work for leave, illness, vacation, or any other such reason.

At the time of the survey, 71 percent of women were currently employed, and an additional 9 percent were not employed but had worked sometime during the preceding 12 months. The proportion of women currently employed generally increases with increasing age and peaks at age group 40-44 (79 percent) before decreasing to 76 percent at age 45-49. Women who are divorced, separated, or widowed are more likely to be employed than other women. Among men, in contrast, those who are married are more likely to be employed than those who are divorced, separated, or widowed and those who have never married.

Urban and rural women are roughly equally likely to be currently employed (73 percent versus 70 percent). However, rural women are almost two and a half times more likely than urban women to have worked in the past 12 months but not currently (10 percent versus 4 percent). As a result, urban women are slightly more likely than rural women not to have been employed at all in the 12 months preceding the survey (23 percent versus 20 percent). Women in Kampong Chhnang are most likely to be currently employed (88 percent). In contrast, women in Battambang/Pailin are most likely not to have been employed at any time in the 12 months preceding the survey (45 percent). Women who have attended secondary school or higher and those in the three highest wealth quintiles are most likely to have not worked in the 12 months preceding the survey.

The proportion of men currently employed is higher than that of women (88 percent versus 71 percent). Employment status differentials for men are similar to those for women. The proportion of men currently employed generally increases with age and peaks at age 30-34 (from 61 percent to 96 percent).

From age 35 to 49, the percentage of men currently employed is relatively constant at 95-96 percent. As with women, urban men are more likely not to have worked in the 12 months preceding the survey, as are men with a secondary education or higher and those in the highest wealth quintile. The proportion of men currently employed ranges from a low of 70 percent in Takeo to a high of 98 percent in Kampong Thom and in Mondul Kiri/Ratanak Kiri. Phnom Penh has the highest percentage of men who are not currently employed (16 percent), and Takeo has the highest percentage of men who worked at some point in the previous 12 months (27 percent), but not currently.

The level of female employment in 2014 is similar to that in 2010. However, there is a difference between the two surveys in the proportions of men employed. In 2010, 81 percent of men in Cambodia were currently employed, whereas this proportion increased to 88 percent of men in 2014.

5.4.2 Occupation

Respondents who were currently employed or had worked in the 12 months preceding the survey were further asked to specify their occupation. Tables 5.6.1 and 5.6.2 show data on occupation of employed women and men, respectively.

Most employed persons are engaged in the agricultural sector, including 44 percent of working women and 51 percent of working men. About one in four working women are employed in sales and services (24 percent), along with 13 percent of men. Twenty-two percent of women are employed in skilled manual labor, and 2 percent are employed in unskilled manual labor. Men are more likely than women to be employed in skilled manual labor, with 26 percent engaged in this type of occupation. Six percent of women and 7 percent of men are employed in professional, technical, and managerial fields.

58 • Respondent Characteristics Table 5.6.1 Occupation: Women

Percent distribution of women age 15-49 employed in the 12 months preceding the survey by occupation, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014

Background characteristic

Professional/

technical/

managerial Clerical Sales and

services Skilled

manual Unskilled

manual Agriculture Missing Total Number of women

Residence has an effect on type of occupation. Employed women and men in urban areas are more likely than those in rural areas to hold jobs in the professional, technical, and managerial; clerical; and sales and services sectors. In contrast, rural women and men are more likely than those in urban areas to be engaged in agricultural work. Those with lower levels of education and those in lower wealth quintiles are also more likely to work in agriculture. For example, 78 percent of employed men with no schooling work in the field of agriculture, whereas only 36 percent of men with a secondary education or higher work in agriculture.

Table 5.6.2 Occupation: Men

Percent distribution of men age 15-49 employed in the 12 months preceding the survey by occupation, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014

Background characteristic

Professional/

technical/

managerial Clerical Sales and

services Skilled

manual Unskilled

manual Agriculture Missing Total Number of men Age

15-19 2.1 0.0 9.2 23.9 1.2 63.2 0.4 100.0 641 20-24 5.8 1.1 11.6 31.6 1.1 47.7 1.0 100.0 772 25-29 9.6 1.7 13.0 27.5 2.3 44.3 1.7 100.0 799 30-34 9.7 2.1 13.4 28.7 1.2 44.5 0.4 100.0 906 35-39 6.1 0.6 11.1 27.8 0.6 53.0 0.9 100.0 556 40-44 8.5 2.0 14.1 20.7 0.1 54.1 0.6 100.0 592 45-49 8.5 1.0 16.7 15.1 0.6 57.9 0.2 100.0 553 Marital status

Never married 6.4 1.0 11.9 27.2 1.1 50.7 1.6 100.0 1,309 Married or living together 7.9 1.4 12.8 24.9 1.1 51.5 0.4 100.0 3,391 Divorced/separated/

widowed 3.9 0.3 15.7 31.3 0.5 46.5 1.7 100.0 118 Number of living children

0 6.9 1.2 12.0 27.8 1.3 49.3 1.5 100.0 1,685 1-2 8.3 1.8 13.1 27.4 1.3 47.7 0.4 100.0 1,717 3-4 7.8 0.8 13.7 23.5 0.8 53.1 0.3 100.0 1,053 5+ 3.8 0.5 10.6 14.5 0.1 70.1 0.5 100.0 363 Residence

Urban 20.1 4.8 28.7 32.7 2.4 8.6 2.6 100.0 749 Rural 5.0 0.6 9.7 24.4 0.8 59.0 0.4 100.0 4,069 Province

Banteay Meanchey 7.5 1.1 10.9 22.6 1.8 55.7 0.5 100.0 189 Kampong Cham 5.0 0.2 10.9 19.3 1.9 62.3 0.4 100.0 602 Kampong Chhnang 7.7 0.0 7.8 20.0 0.6 62.4 1.5 100.0 168 Kampong Speu 4.9 0.5 7.3 30.7 0.7 55.1 0.9 100.0 296 Kampong Thom 5.5 0.2 9.1 18.1 0.2 66.5 0.5 100.0 230 Kandal 6.8 0.4 11.8 39.0 1.8 40.1 0.1 100.0 377 Kratie 6.3 0.6 5.2 17.8 0.9 68.9 0.3 100.0 132 Phnom Penh 21.9 4.9 29.6 35.5 2.2 2.8 3.1 100.0 462 Prey Veng 4.7 0.6 12.1 30.9 0.0 51.8 0.0 100.0 341 Pursat 2.4 1.3 6.9 13.7 0.0 75.2 0.4 100.0 168 Siem Reap 6.0 0.4 10.4 27.3 0.5 54.8 0.6 100.0 316 Svay Rieng 6.1 2.3 16.4 36.2 3.0 35.3 0.6 100.0 171 Takeo 7.1 0.0 13.8 29.5 0.6 48.6 0.6 100.0 321 Otdar Meanchey 5.1 1.1 8.5 7.1 0.0 78.3 0.0 100.0 91 Battambang/Pailin 5.1 3.9 13.7 23.8 0.4 52.2 0.9 100.0 390 Kampot/Kep 6.9 0.9 6.6 19.4 1.6 63.8 0.7 100.0 214 Preah Sihanouk/Koh Kong 10.5 2.5 17.4 36.7 1.7 29.8 1.4 100.0 110 Preah Vihear/Stung Treng 4.1 0.2 7.6 13.6 0.0 74.1 0.4 100.0 109 Mondul Kiri/Ratanak Kiri 5.6 1.4 14.9 8.4 0.0 69.6 0.0 100.0 131 Education

No education 1.7 0.0 4.3 16.1 0.0 78.0 0.0 100.0 318 Primary 2.4 0.0 8.0 23.6 1.3 64.6 0.1 100.0 2,119 Secondary and higher 12.5 2.6 17.9 28.8 1.0 35.6 1.4 100.0 2,380 Wealth quintile

Lowest 1.1 0.3 3.4 17.7 0.2 77.2 0.2 100.0 859 Second 2.5 0.0 3.8 25.0 0.3 68.4 0.0 100.0 919 Middle 3.7 0.4 8.0 24.8 1.0 61.6 0.5 100.0 980 Fourth 8.7 0.6 16.4 27.6 2.1 44.2 0.4 100.0 1,033 Highest 19.1 4.9 28.9 31.9 1.6 11.0 2.6 100.0 1,027 Total 7.4 1.3 12.7 25.7 1.1 51.2 0.8 100.0 4,818