Govt needs to explain plan to improve unemployment stats

Trade unions are in despair at the latest unemployment statistics.

Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said: “The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) is appalled by yet another rise in the rate of unemployment. And worse is to come.

“The fight must now be stepped up to a new level to save every job and against the ANC president’s capitalist economic policies to prop up the system of monopoly capitalism that has pauperised the working class, created the widest inequality in the world and is now making the rich even richer and the poor even poorer.”

Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesperson Sizwe Pamla commented: “This is not surprising at all because very little has been done to kickstart the economy and the private sector rejected the moratorium during the recent job summit.

“The people need government to explain in simple language if they have a plan or not to grow the economy that is not premised on firing those currently employed.”

Unemployment statistics up to 27.5% in third quarter

• Statistics SA said yesterday the unemployment rate increased by 0.3 of a percentage point to 27.5% between July and September this year.
• The Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter found the number employed rose by 92 000 to 16.4 million and the number of unemployed rose by 127 000 to 6.2 million.
• The informal sector recorded employment gains of 188 000, while the formal sector, private households and agriculture recorded declines in employment.
• Discouraged workseekers declined by 131 000 and the number of other not economically active people increased by 65 000, resulting in a decrease of 66 000 in the number of people not in the labour force between the second and third quarters.
• The number of employed persons declined in seven of the 10 industries.
• There were employment gains in finance and other business services and trade and construction, resulting in a net increase of 92 000 in the third quarter.

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