Slight relief in Eastern Cape as 7 000 people find jobs in first quarter

THE Eastern Cape’s job loss trend has shown a slight but significant improvement.

Stats SA yesterday announced that the Eastern Cape recorded a 0.5% increase in the number of people in employ between January and March this year.

These first-quarter results mean that 7 000 people entered jobs in the province in this period.

These statistics have to be seen against the context of last year’s jobs bloodbath, when 52 000 people in the province lost their jobs between January 2017 and January this year.

On the plus side, the biggest increases in jobs in the first quarter were in community and social services and the manufacturing sector.

Stats SA found:

● There was a 25.4% increase in jobs provided by the manufacturing sector; and

● There were 31 000 jobs created in the Eastern Cape under community and social services between December 2017 and March this year.

The latest statistics show that in the first quarter, South Africa gained 56 000 jobs from a total of 9 782 000 in December last year to 9 838 000 in March.

Coega Development Corporation (CDC) marketing, brand and communications head Dr Ayanda Vilakazi was delighted at the firstquarter results.

“This translates to 56 000 more people [nationally] having been able to put bread on their tables as a result of the various sectors that have contributed towards this feat.

“What is even more impressive is that, overall [national] employment increased by 74 000 or 0.8% between March 2017 and March this year.”

The report by Stats SA follows shortly after Coega announced it had created 100 000 jobs since it started.

Vilakazi said: “The milestone we have achieved propels us to greater heights. As a result, CDC has contributed a further 1 800 jobs currently under construction at the Coega Special Economic Zone [SEZ] from three different projects.”

Stats SA yesterday reported that the national employment increases was largely thanks to increases in community services, construction, manufacturing and business services sectors.

However, the report revealed that there were decreases of jobs in the mining, quarrying and transport industries, which shed 36 000 jobs.

Stats SA reported that nationally employment increased by 8% from March last year to March this year.

The increases were reported in community services, trade and business services. Jobs in the electricity industry remained static.

Stats SA found that 21 000 jobs were lost nationally in the construction industry, a decrease of 3.3%.

Mining and the quarrying lost 14 000 jobs while transport and manufacturing lost 9 000.

This translates to 56 000 more people [nationally] having been able to put bread on their tables as a result of the various sectors that have contributed towards this feat