job growth in recent years. This was driven largely by the communication sector (with a growth of 2,584.01 per cent). It was followed by education services (213.33 per cent), finance (117.35 per cent), building and construction (57.97 per cent), transport (56.02 per cent) and agriculture (55.6 per cent). According to the survey, manufacturing (-0.2 per cent), banking (-1.34 per cent), hotels, restaurants and tourism (-3.07 per cent), and mining and quarrying (-36.11 per cent) recorded negative growth rates (see table 4.3). Table 4.3: QNEGS, 2006 TOTAL EMPLOYMENT BY ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 1999 2005 Amount change Percentage change Generation rank 79,540 123,761 44,221 55.6 6 1,916,781 1,912,906 -3,875 -0.2 12 Building and construction 290,574 459,023 168,449 57.97 4 Hotels, restaurants and tourism 537,067 520,556 -16,511 -3.07 14 Transport 154,693 241,354 86,661 56.02 5 17,409 467,260 449,851 2,584.01 1 8,228 25,781 17,553 213.33 2 Mining and quarrying 56,137 35,867 -20,270 -36.11 15 Utilities 14,896 14,896 0 0 11 Banking 28,263 27,883 -380 -1.34 13 146,577 196,511 49,934 34.07 9 7,047 10,206 3,159 44.83 7 75,004 103,348 28,344 37.79 8 305,880 330,042 24,162 7.9 10 24,108 52,398 28,290 117.35 3 Economic activity Agriculture Manufacturing Communication Education services Distribution and trade Professional services Real estate and business services Health Finance Source: NBS (a survey of 500 firms with 355 responding, involving firms employing 10 persons & more). 506. Nonetheless, according to the CSAR, 70 per cent of public servants, the self-employed, the private sector and the unemployed perceive Nigeria’s performance in creating jobs, providing quality education, supplying electricity or energy, providing good roads and good transport services, and securing lives and property as worsening. A similarly large proportion (more than 50 per cent) of the same occupational groups perceives the provision of good recreational facilities and good nutrition as being static. None of the occupational groups believe that any of the key microeconomic issues have improved over the five-year period reviewed. 157