South Africa’s unemployment crisis has deepened further, with the jobless rate rising to 33.5 percent in the second quarter of 2024, up from 32.9 percent in the first quarter, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).
The survey revealed that the number of employed people decreased by 92,000 to 16.7 million in the second quarter, while the number of unemployed individuals increased by 158,000 to 8.4 million, compared to the previous quarter.
Notably, the expanded unemployment rate, which includes those who have given up searching for work, also saw a significant increase, rising by 0.7 percentage points to 42.6 percent.
“Discouraged work-seekers increased by 147,000, up by 4.8 percent, while the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 75,000, down by 0.6 percent, between the two quarters,” Stats SA reported.
The survey further revealed that six out of the 10 occupational categories recorded employment losses in the second quarter, with the largest decreases observed in plant and machine operator occupations that witnessed a drop of 260,000 jobs, sales and services (down 161,000), professional (down 127,000), and clerical (down 103,000).
Employment gains were recorded in elementary occupations (up 249,000), technician (up 190,000), manager (up 148,000) and skilled agriculture (up 12,000) occupations.
The informal sector, which is often seen as a buffer against the formal job market, also experienced an increase in employment, adding 48,000 jobs in the second quarter, primarily driven by gains in the finance, mining and transport sectors.
Analysts have long warned that the persistent high unemployment in South Africa, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and other structural challenges, poses a significant threat to the country’s social and economic stability.
JN/APA