Abstract: | Analysis of the structure and composition of the labour force, and labour force participation rates (LFPRs), for both males and females in Borno State, Nigeria, on the basis of data from the 1963 census, a 1974 labour force survey of urban areas in the Northeastern States, and data on urban unemployment in Borno State for the period 1975-1983. There is enough evidence to conclude that increasing enrolment in education, rapid increase in government spending and rural-urban migration have changed the composition of the urban labour force and urban LFPRs over the last two decades. Female participation rates by age have increased considerably, whereas male participation-age profiles have shrunk at the entry into and retirement from the labour force. It was also found that while there was little divisional variation in male LFPRs, female LFPRs were comparatively higher in Biu than in other divisions. This phenomenon could be attributed to social factors, such as the early exposure to missionary activities, the availability of educational opportunities, religio-ethnic mix and social attitudes. Bibliogr., notes. |