There are no data available for Musakhel district as far as labour force is concerned. However, figures for Loralai district in 1981 may give some idea about the labour force in Musakhel as then it was part of Loralai district. In 1981, the civilian labour force constituted 30.9 percent of the population in Loralai district. More than half (56.6%) of the male population and a small percentage (1.7%) of the females were part of the labour force. The urban and rural labour force participation rates were 22.2 and 31.4 percent respectively. A significant majority of the labour force (81%) was engaged in agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing sectors. Agriculture and livestock raising are the main economic activities in which most of the labour is self-employed, though at times tenants are hired. After agriculture, livestock farming is the second important sector of labour force involvement, followed by government sector and the social services sector. The majority of the labour force in the district is local and migrant labour is minimal.

The visible labour force in the district consists of males only. However women are involved in various productive sectors, including agriculture, livestock farming, date processing (drying), and handicrafts. Women are allied workers in agriculture and livestock farming. Women can frequently be seen grazing their livestock. They also fetch water for household needs. The main reason behind the invisibility of female labour force lies in the socio-cultural background of the district.

Women are not allowed to move around outside their homes. Purdah is practised by most of the women. They wear a veil when they go outside the house, usually a big chaddar (piece of cloth) covering the women from head to toe. Urbanisation is very slow in Musakhel district; so that the subsequent socio-cultural change, allowing and sometimes necessitating women’s active participation in the labour force, is therefore also slow.

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