| Periods | Year | permanent | Temporary | Contract | Total |
| Pre-globalization | 1970 | 58,982 | 4752 | N. A | 63,734 |
| 1971 | 67,985 | 2568 | “ | 72,553 | |
| 1972 | 80,399 | 3938 | “ | 84,337 | |
| 1973 | 95,484 | 4629 | “ | 100,113 | |
| 1974 | 106,258 | 16,656 | “ | 122,914 | |
| 1975 | 115,518 | 5817 | “ | 121,335 | |
| 1976 | 125,580 | 6391 | “ | 131,971 | |
| 1977 | 116,544 | 5338 | “ | 121,882 | |
| 1978 | 182,203 | 5474 | “ | 187,677 | |
| 1979 | 192,099 | 5220 | “ | 197,319 | |
| 1980 | 217,980 | 8194 | “ | 226,174 | |
| 1981 | 246,789 | 8930 | “ | 255,719 | |
| 1982 | 263,496 | 1982 | “ | 265,478 | |
| 1983 | 286,032 | 6091 | “ | 292,123 | |
| 1984 | 300,427 | 1413 | “ | 301,840 | |
| 1985 | 250,104 | 5202 | “ | 255,306 | |
| Economic Reforms period. (Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) era) | 1986 | 249,170 | 5899 | “ | 255,069 |
| 1987 | 249,143 | 5594 | 577 | 255,069 | |
| 1988 | 250,146 | 4341 | 292 | 254,487 | |
| 1989 | 286,861 | 1159 | - | 254,487 | |
| 1990 | 286,861 | 997 | 269 | 287,278 | |
| 1991 | 180,884 | 1096 | 274 | 182,254 | |
| After the SAP era | 1992 | 186,104 | 4948 | 277 | 191,329 |
|
| 1993 | 191,508 | 5411 | 283 | 197,202 |
| 1994 | 194,250 | 5599 | 290 | 200,137 | |
| 1995 | 194,136 | 5593 | 289 | 200,018 | |
| 1996 | 192,007 | 5932 | 272 | 197,211 | |
| 1997 | 191,723 | 5954 | 410 | 198,087 |