ABSTRACT
Population growth and manpower quality can be controlling variables in the economic and political development of a nation such as the Sudan. Rapid population growth places a strain on limited capital and other resources. Population has grown far more rapidly in urban areas as contrasted with rural areas. The high degree of labour mobility in the Sudan has been described. Mobility implies 'moving from job to job' and a relatively higher unemployment level. Mechanisation of agriculture similarly suggests labour displacement on the farm and at least temporary unemployment. Wide gaps exist in all types of statistics concerning income levels and income distribution in the Sudan. The chapter considers four fairly distinct groups of economically active persons, each conforming to its own wage and income patterns. These four groups include urban workers employed in the modern sector, urban workers employed in the informal sector, those employed in the modern agricultural sector, and those employed in the traditional agricultural sector.
