South Africa’s unemployment rate marginally rose to 29.1 percent during the third quarter of 2019, official data showed on Tuesday.
According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the number of unemployed South Africa increased by 0.1 percentage points during the period July-September compared to the previous three months.
“The unemployment rate for the third quarter of 2019 is 29.1%, having risen by 0.1 of a percentage point from the second quarter,” Statistician General Risenga Maluleke said.
Releasing the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Maluleke told journalists in Pretoria that more than 6.7 million South Africans were unemployed in the third quarter, while the working age population in the household survey was at 38.6 million during the same period.
The records show that the unemployment rate had increased by 4.6 percent between the third quarter of 2009 and the third quarter of 2019.
Maluleke also revealed that the working age population (16 to 64 years) increased by 149,000 people between the second and third quarter, with labour market rates varying significantly depending on one’s education level.
“Those with less than high school certificate education are sitting at 34.4 percent, having decreased by 0.1 percent and those with matric are sitting with 29.8 percent.
“Those who are varsity graduates are sitting at 8.2 percent and ‘other tertiary’ are placed at 19.1 percent,” Maluleke said.
NM/jn/APA