South Africa jobless rate up at 23,2% in third quarter
Thématique :
sud afrique
28 Oct 2008 - Business Day - Reuters
SA’s official jobless rate edged up to 23,2% in the third quarter from 23,1% in the second quarter, a quarterly labour report showed
In its latest Labour Force Survey, which provides estimates of employment in both the formal and informal sectors, Statistics SA said the total number of unemployed people was marginally higher at 4,122-million.
Total employment fell slightly to 13,655-million people.
“All industries showed a downward trend (in employment) with the exception of trade and private households,” Stats S.A. said in a statement.
Joblessness has eased in Africa’s biggest economy over the last decade but remains high despite average economic growth of around 5% over the past four years.
High unemployment and poverty have clouded economic gains since the end of apartheid in 1994 and are a key driver of often violent crime.
Earlier this month, the ruling ANC and its partners said SA should focus on combating poverty and unemployment, another sign of pressure on the government to abandon some business-friendly policies unpopular with its leftist allies.
In July, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development singled out unemployment as a key challenge to SA’s economic development.
SA’s official jobless rate edged up to 23,2% in the third quarter from 23,1% in the second quarter, a quarterly labour report showed
In its latest Labour Force Survey, which provides estimates of employment in both the formal and informal sectors, Statistics SA said the total number of unemployed people was marginally higher at 4,122-million.
Total employment fell slightly to 13,655-million people.
“All industries showed a downward trend (in employment) with the exception of trade and private households,” Stats S.A. said in a statement.
Joblessness has eased in Africa’s biggest economy over the last decade but remains high despite average economic growth of around 5% over the past four years.
High unemployment and poverty have clouded economic gains since the end of apartheid in 1994 and are a key driver of often violent crime.
Earlier this month, the ruling ANC and its partners said SA should focus on combating poverty and unemployment, another sign of pressure on the government to abandon some business-friendly policies unpopular with its leftist allies.
In July, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development singled out unemployment as a key challenge to SA’s economic development.
