Quarterly Employment Statistics: Fourth quarter adds only 12 000 jobs

The South African economy added only 12 000 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2024, increasing total employment by 0.1% compared to the third quarter from 10 628 000 in September 2024 to 10 640 000 in December 2024.

According to Statistics SA’s Quarterly Employment Statistics released on Tuesday, the extra jobs were largely due to an increase in trade, which added 42 000 (1.8%), business services, which added 22 000 (0.9%), transport, which added 2 000 (0.4%), and electricity, which added 2 000 (1.6%).

However, these increases were negated by job losses in community services, which lost 25 000 jobs (-0.9%); manufacturing, which lost 13 000 jobs (-1.0%); construction, which lost 13 000 jobs (-2.1%); and mining, which lost 3 000 jobs (-0.6%).

Between December 2023 and December 2024, total employment decreased by 91 000 jobs (-0.8%).

ALSO READ: Quarterly employment statistics: Fewer jobs in third quarter — again

Full-time employment: Balancing job gains and losses

Full-time employment increased by 10 000 jobs (0.1%) in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, from 9 477 000 people working in September 2024 to 9 487 000 in December 2024, mainly thanks to trade adding 24 000 jobs (1.1%), business services adding 21 000 jobs (0.9%), transport adding 3 000 jobs (0.7%) and electricity adding 1 000 (1.6%).

However, these job gains were wiped out by decreases in construction that shed 14 000 jobs (-2.6%), community services that shed 12 000 jobs (-0.5%), manufacturing that shed 10 000 jobs (-0.8%) and mining that shed 3 000 jobs (0.6%).

According to Statistics SA, full-time employment decreased by 26 000 jobs (-0.3%) between December 2023 and December 2024.

ALSO READ: Sectors showing growth in job opportunities in SA

Part-time employment declines sharply compared to a year ago

Part-time employment increased by 2 000 (0.2%) in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, from 1 151 000 jobs in September 2024 to 1 153 000 jobs in December 2024. This increase was thanks to trade adding 18 000 jobs (7.4%), construction adding 1 000 jobs (1.4%) and business services also adding 1 000 jobs (0.4%).

These job gains were again negated by job losses in community services, which shed 14 000 jobs (-2.8%), manufacturing, which shed 3 000 jobs (-3.4%); and transport, which shed 1 000 jobs (-5.9%), with no change in part-time jobs in the electricity industry.

Part-time employment decreased by 65 000 jobs (-5.3%) between December 2023 and December 2024.

ALSO READ: Improvement in unemployment rate, but SA still needs almost 8 million jobs

Increase in gross earnings and salaries

According to Statistics SA, gross earnings paid to employees increased by R59.1 billion (6.1%) in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, from R969.4 billion in September 2024 to R1.03 trillion in December 2024.

This increase was largely due to increases in trade, manufacturing, community services, business services, construction, transport and electricity. However, gross earnings in the mining industry decreased.

Gross earnings increased by R35.5 billion (3.6%) between December 2023 and December 2024.

Basic salaries or wages paid to employees increased by R9.5 billion (1.1%) in the fourth quarter compared to the fourth quarter, from R880.2 billion in September 2024 to R889.7 billion in December 2024.

Statistics SA says this was largely due to an increase in the community services, trade, manufacturing, business services, transport, construction and electricity industries, while there was a decrease in the mining industry.

Basic salaries or wages increased by R34.1 billion (4%) between December 2023 and December 2024.

ALSO READ: Increase in earnings threshold will protect more employees

Bonuses and overtime also increased

Bonuses paid to employees increased by R51.8 billion (85.4%) in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, from R60.7 billion in September 2024 to R112.5 billion in December 2024, mainly thanks to an increase in payments in the manufacturing, trade, community services, business services, construction, transport and electricity industries.

The data shows that bonus payments increased by R3.5 billion (3.2%) between December 2023 and December 2024.

The statistics show that employees earned less overtime, with overtime paid decreasing by R2.2 billion (7.7%) in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter, from R28.6 billion in September 2024 to R26.4 billion in December 2024, largely due to a decrease in the business services, community services, transport and electricity industries.

However, construction, trade and manufacturing employees were paid more overtime. Overtime payments also decreased by R2 billion (-7.1%) between December 2023 and December 2024.

According to Statistics SA, average monthly earnings paid to employees decreased by -0.2% from R28 274 in August 2024 to R28 231 in November 2024. Average monthly earnings increased by 5.3% between November 2023 and November 2024.