Unemployment rate in South Africa

2022 - 3 - 30

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Daily Maverick"

South African unemployment rate hits record 35.3% in Q4 2021 (Daily Maverick)

“South Africa's economy is producing jobless growth and given our economic growth projections, we forecast that the unemployment rate will settle at about 30% ...

Meanwhile, the ranks of the indigent are clearly swelling and children are starving to death in the Eastern Cape. Unemployment means hardship and hunger — and now, shockingly, starvation. This is a result of failures by the ANC to create an economic environment that creates jobs and spreads prosperity. A key reason for this unsettling state of affairs is the failure of the economy to create jobs at a pace that keeps up with population growth. The deterrents to investment — and the job creation that it often, though not always, entails — are well known. And even though the economy grew by 4.9% in 2021, the official unemployment rate is still 2.8 percentage points higher than the 32.5% recorded in Q4 2020,” Oxford Economics Africa economist Jee-A van der Linde said in a note on the data. The ‘recovery’ that saw the economy grow 4.9% in 2021 has been a jobless one.

After long delay, Stats SA confirms record unemployment rate (News24)

After a delay of more than a month, Statistics South Africa finally released the latest unemployment data, which showed a record jobless rate.

In the fourth quarter, there were responses on only fewer than 45% of calls made, compared to almost 77% in the second quarter of 2020. Formal sector employment increased by 143 000 jobs, while the informal sector shed 48 000 jobs. But in March 2020, it stopped face-to-face interviews of households as a result of the pandemic, and switched to "computer-assisted" telephone interviews, which reached fewer people.

South Africa's unemployment rate hits new record high in Q4 2021 (Reuters)

Statistics South Africa said the number of unemployed totalled 7.921 million people in the October-December period, compared with 7.643 million people in the ...

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated South Africa's labour market woes last year. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

South Africa is heading towards a 50% unemployment rate: unions (BusinessTech)

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has raised alarm bells over South Africa's record high unemployment rate which is steadily creeping ...

- The public procurement system needs to be overhauled so that there is a single open, online system for the entire state. - Our education system also needs to be responsive and equip young people with the necessary skills to be competitive. “The country needs a more stable and affordable electricity tariff regime conducive to industrial and economic growth.

Another record high as 7.9-million people remain jobless in South ... (Mail and Guardian)

Record new high for unemployment in South Africa, as Stats SA releases jobs data for the fourth quarter of 2021.

But the actual unemployment rate superseded their expectations. Economists expected for the unemployment rate to rise to a record 35.1% in the fourth quarter of 2021. For the fourth quarter of 2021 it came in at 35.3% of the labour force, the highest level since the start of the statistics agency’s quarterly labour force survey in 2008.

SA's unemployment rate likely to remain the highest in the world (Independent Online)

Data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Tuesday showed 278 000 more people joined the ranks of the unemployed in the last 3 months of 2021, ...

The unemployment rate, according to the expanded definition of unemployment, eased by 0.4 of a percentage point to 46.2 percent in the fourth quarter. Employment in agriculture increased by 38 000 jobs quarter on quarter, from 829 000 jobs to 868 000 in the fourth quarter. Stats SA said the country’s unemployment rate rose by 0.4 of a percentage point to reach the dreaded 35.3 percent in the fourth quarter, up from 34.9 percent the previous quarter. Youth unemployment remained a major problem as the population aged 15 and 24 years recorded the highest unemployment rate of 66.5 percent in the fourth quarter. Economists said the unemployment rate rose the highest as 56 000 discouraged job-seekers returned to the labour force on signs of improved economic activity, outpacing the number of jobs on offer. South Africa’s unemployment rate is likely to remain the highest in the world for the foreseeable future as economic woes force the number of jobs created to be outpaced by the size of the labour market.

SA's unemployment rate crosses the dreaded 35% threshold: Stats SA (Eyewitness News)

Statistic South Africa says the country's unemployment rate has crossed the feared 35% threshold in the fourth quarter of 2021, bringing the rate to 35.3%.

JOHANNESBURG – Statistic South Africa says the country’s unemployment rate has crossed the feared 35% threshold in the fourth quarter of 2021, bringing the rate to 35.3%. Statistic South Africa says the country’s unemployment rate has crossed the feared 35% threshold in the fourth quarter of 2021, bringing the rate to 35.3%. The figure declined by an average of 76.9% in the second quarter to a worrying 44.6% in the fourth quarter of last year.