Men in Samoa continue to dominate the formal employment sector but women’s average wages are higher, says the Samoa Bureau of Statistics in its March 2019 report.

Giving details in its March 2019 employment statistics, the Bureau reports that 56.6 per cent of the estimated population workers are men, who are earning 54.5 per cent of total wages.

But in terms of quarterly average wages, women average $6,020 and are ahead of men who average $5,496.

The total wages for this quarter amount to $139.8 million. 

However, fewer industries employ more women than men according to the Bureau's report. The report states public administration, finance health and education do, but construction, fishing, agriculture, electricity, water, transport, food manufacturing, other manufacturing, other business services, communication and commerce all employ more men.

Overall employment in Samoa has increased by 1.1 per cent since last December, and salaries are up by 1.4 per cent.

Both employment and wages also show growth over the last year. The education and restaurant sectors are contributing the most to the growth, increasing by 16.7 and 12.3 per cent respectively when compared to last March.

Public administration is currently the biggest employment industry at 24 per cent, but it does not have the highest average wages. According to the Bureau's report, public administration is just fourth for average wages for men. 

The lowest average wages come from the restaurant and agriculture industries for men, and accommodation and restaurants for women, with agriculture in third to last place. 

For men and women, health appears to pay the best quarterly average wages, at third place for men and first for women, paying out $9.3 million this quarter.

The highest annual average wages are also going to women. The Bureau also reports that annual wages are 11.8 per cent higher than men’s on average at $24,281.