Abstract:
It has been observed that for almost three decades following the introduction
of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in Nigeria, efforts by the
government to set in motion private sector driven economy had not yielded
much. There is also much disparity between labour force and employment.
This study therefore uses the Multinomial Logit Estimation Techniques to
investigate the determinants of occupational choice, and possible gender
influence on choice using the 2008 Nigeria Household Survey (NHHS) data
set.
The aim of this study, therefore, is to achieve effective labour utilization and
robust labour related economic policy guide in Nigeria by adopting the
result findings.
The study finds among other things that whereas individuals at all levels of
education prefer wage employment at the public and private sectors, those
with low education especially at the primary and secondary school levels
appear to be predisposed for self-employment relative to those at the other
levels. At the primary school level 40.5% of individuals prefer to be selfemployed,
while at the secondary, college of education, university (1st
degree), and beyond 1st degree level, 17.1%, 8.6%, 3.7%, and 0% were
recorded respectively.
Another important finding is that male workers earn on the average more
than female workers by 24.2% and 6.3%, in self-employment and public
sector employment respectively, while females earn on the average earn
more than males by 11.7% in the private sector.
The study shows that there is no significant gender difference in the choice
of employment in Nigeria; however, differences in domestic and sociocultural
divide between the sexes seem to be instrumental to differences in
labour mobility, earning differential, and the seeming apathy of being selfemployed
by females. Females are also less likely to choose the private
sector employment relative to males.
