Guidelines for estimating employment generation through shelter sector assistance

Relevant literature and 24 surveys in six countries were reviewed. It is concluded that the most efficient yet labor-intensive commercial method of shelter construction in developing countries is probably the use of conventional methods by medium-sized builders to construct a few hundred dwellings per year. The amount of employment generated by alternative designs and construction methods can be estimated if the wage rate for skilled and unskilled workers and the proportion of each type of worker are known. Cost breakdown among materials, off-site costs, and wages, and by major building component increases the accuracy of employment estimates. Appended is the derivation and explanation of an employment generation formula.