STATISTICS South Africa (STATS SA) has released the official unemployment for the second quarter of the year.
The unemployment rate increased by 0.5% to 27.2% in the second quarter of 2018.
Stats SA says in the first three months of the year the unemployment rate was at 26.7%.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said the South African working-age population increased by 154 000 or 0,4% in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of 2018.
“The number of employed persons declined by 90 000 in the second quarter of 2018, which led to a 0,4 of percentage point decline in the absorption rate to 43,1%.
However, during the same quarter the unemployed increased by 102 000 persons to 6,1 million, raising the unemployment rate to 27,2%,” Maluleke said.
According to Stats SA employment gains of 22 000 were recorded in private households.
The formal sector recorded employment losses of 35 000 in the formal sector, 73 000 in the informal sector and agriculture a 3 000 decline in the first and the second quarter of 2018.
Maluleke said compared to a year ago, employment increased by 1,2% 188 000, unemployment decreased by 1,5% (94 000), and the number of discouraged work-seekers decreased by 21,3% 503 000.
This resulted in a 3,5% 521 000 increase in the not economically active population.
