MZANSI’s unemployment rate has increased by 1,7%.
This was announced by Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke in Tshwane on Tuesday, 23 February.
He was sharing the Quarterly Labour Force Survey results for the fourth quarter of 2020.
He said the number of employed people increased by 333 000 to 15 million.
The number of unemployed people increased by 701 000 to 7,2 million.
“The number of discouraged work seekers increased by 235 000, and the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 1,1 million between the two quarters, resulting in a net decrease of 890 000 in the not economically active population,”he said.
Maluleke said movement was proportionately more towards the unemployed than the employed, which resulted in a significant increase of 1,7 percentage points in the official unemployment rate to 32,5%.
He said this is the highest since the start of the survey in 2008. He said the unemployment rate decreased by 0,5 of a percentage point to 42,6% in quarter four compared to quarter three.
“Employment increased in all sectors in quarter four,” he said.
“Formal sector employment increased by 189 000, informal sector employment by 65 000, private households by 76 000, and employment in agriculture increased by 2 000.”
Maluleke said employment increased in all industries except finance and mining.
Industries which gained the most jobs were community and social services by 170 000, and construction with 86 000.
Of the 15 million people who were employed in quarter four, almost eight out of 10 people were expected to work during lockdown.
