Unemployment rate back up to 29% – Stats SA
The latest stats suggest a return to levels last seen in 2008.
An unemployed man pulls a trolley full of recyclable waste material which he sells for a living, in Daveland near Soweto, South Africa August 4, 2015. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 29 percent of the labour force in the second quarter of 2019 from 27.6 percent in the first three months of the year, the statistics agency said on Tuesday.
“This is as a result of an increase of 455,000 in the number of people who are unemployed and an increase of 21,000 in employment,” Statistics South Africa said in its latest quarterly labour force survey.
South Africa’s #unemployment rate increased to 29,0% in Q2:2019, up by 1,4 percentage points from Q1:2019. This is the highest level recorded since the introduction of the QLFS in 2008. The highest level was 29,3% in March 2003 #StatsSA https://t.co/yyznAhpneT pic.twitter.com/noSNDr00dP
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) July 30, 2019
The rate had increased by 1.4 percentage points.
There are now at least 6.7 million officially unemployed people in South Africa between 15 and 64 years old.
21 000 more people were employed in Q2:2019 compared with Q1:2019. 16,3 million of the working age population was employed in Q2:2019 #StatsSA https://t.co/BaZw8eBfVn pic.twitter.com/jhnivAV8Y3
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) July 30, 2019
The trade, services & #construction industries recorded the biggest gains in employment while private households, transport & #mining recorded the biggest declines #StatsSA https://t.co/BaZw8eBfVn pic.twitter.com/6dtLDNagze
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) July 30, 2019
The labour force participation rate increased by 0,7 of a percentage point from 59,1% in Q2:2009 to 59,8% in Q2:2019 https://t.co/BaZw8eBfVn pic.twitter.com/UMDinZ6G49
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) July 30, 2019
The Eastern Cape recorded has the highest unemployment rate ( 35,4%) while the North West recorded the highest expanded unemployment rate (46,6%). Q2:2019 #unemployment Q2:2019=29,0% #StatsSA pic.twitter.com/sXSuUNep8e
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) July 30, 2019
Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape all have more than 15 percentage points difference between their expanded and official unemployment rates. #unemployment Q2:2019=29,0% #StatsSA pic.twitter.com/SxSzXvPsaz
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) July 30, 2019
The unemployment rate for females was 31,3% and remains higher than that of males.
The expanded #unemployment rate was up by 0,5 of a percentage point to 38,5% #StatsSA https://t.co/BaZw8eBfVn pic.twitter.com/5wjKYTCxIb— Stats SA (@StatsSA) July 30, 2019
More to follow.
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