NATIONAL NEWS - According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics SA (Stats SA) on Tuesday, 46 000 jobs were created in the Western Cape over the last quarter - an increase of 9 000 jobs compared with the 37 000 jobs created in the previous quarter-on-quarter period.
The Western Cape maintains the lowest expanded unemployment rate in South Africa, with 87 000 jobs created year-on-year.
Growth sectors
- Community and social services: 75 400 jobs year-on-year; 70 300 quarter-on-quarter.
- Finance: 65 600 jobs year-on-year; 85 600 quarter-on-quarter.
- Trade: 61 900 jobs year-on-year; 72 500 quarter-on-quarter.
The Western Cape recorded a decrease in people considered as "not economically active" and not counted in the rate.
Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities Mireille Wenger says this means more people are looking for jobs and participating in the labour force.
"This growing labour force also in part accounts for the increase in the expanded unemployment rate from 29% to 31,3%." Wenger says more needs to be done to match the demand and her department is determined to do so.
SA worst in the world
The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) says South Africa still has the worst recorded unemployment in the world.
Stats SA revealed that 648 000 jobs were gained between the first quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2022.
The biggest job gains were recorded in community and social services (276 000), trade (169 000), finance (128 000) and construction (104 000). There were job losses in manufacturing (73 000) and transport (54 000).
The number employed was 15,6 million and the unemployed increased by 132 000 to eight million.
The official unemployment was 0,5% lower than in the same period in 2021, coming down to 33,9%. On the expanded definition, which includes those who gave up work, the year-on-year unemployment number improved by 0,3%, coming down to 44,1%.
IRR Head of Campaign Gabriel Crouse is concerned that over 3,6 million people aged 15 to 24 were not in employment, education or training (Neet). "This is 2,7% higher than the Neet rate in the second quarter of 2021."
He says Stats SA indicates that long-term unemployment (one year and more) continues to increase.
"Almost 6,3 million people have been unemployed for more than a year."
According to Crouse, structural unemploy-ment crushes prospects of growth.
"The 'structure' referred to in "structural unemployment" is primarily government policy. The IRR has repeatedly broached the problem in correspondence delivered to the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, but his office has thus far refused to open the door to an alternative approach that begins by cutting red tape."
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