The increase in unemployment stats released in the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2021 has hit job seekers hard. The results show that the unemployment rate has risen to 32,6%.
During an interview with some unemployed community members in Anderson Street, they shared their frustrations.
These men told Lowvelder that as the people that are employed feel the impact of Covid-19, it results in job scarcity for them. They said they wake up early every morning to stand on the side of the road, hoping that someone would employ them or give them any odd jobs to do. Some have been doing this for more than 10 years and due to age some are no longer employable.
“This unemployment crisis that the country faces is structural. It is not a consequence of the negative impacts of the pandemic, nor is it fundamentally due to a shortage of skills; the latter is exemplified by the fact that there are growing levels of unemployed graduates.
The reduction in government spending, through budget cuts, including the cuts to social grants, coupled with the cuts to the public sector wage bill, will lead to growing levels of joblessness in the short to medium term,” said the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) and the Assembly of the Unemployed (AoU).
Dennis Mkhonto, one of the men interviewed, said they just want to put food on the table and put their children through school.
“We want our kids to have opportunities so that they do not end up here. We want to do things legally and follow the law, but our government is failing us, because all we see is corruption. We apply for jobs but we are not getting anywhere.
Due to our financial background, we cannot afford to start a business,” he explained.
They say it is not easy not knowing if they will have some money when they return home. “I sometimes come here and go home empty handed. This makes it hard for me to face my family. Sometimes it lasts for weeks. I want to provide, but I am not getting any opportunities and since lockdown started the situation has become worse,” said another man, who chose to remain anonymous.
ALSO READ: MEC for health says Covid-19 infected 2 942 of department’s employees
Simson Pastor Mkhwanazi said he was promised a job opportunity when his child was just 12 months old, and now the child is 18. “This job was promised during election time, but I am still waiting. Yes, we do not give up applying, and sitting at home doing nothing is not a solution for us,” he said.
ALSO READ: MEC for education tables budget speech
AIDC and AoU stated that as alarming as the level of the rate of unemployment currently is, the highest since 2008, it does not accurately reflect the unemployment crisis that is being faced.
