No peace of mind doing piece jobs
Job seekers are having it rough
were now seeking jobs, compared to the earlier days of democracy. “The overpouring of people, especially women, into the cities has been a phenomena post-1994 and gained momentum in 2002 [to] 2003.”
Citizens with education less than matric continued to bear the brunt of unemployment the most. Statistics showed that 33.1% of this cohort was unemployed. This was 5.4% higher than the 27.7% national unemployment rate.
Unemployment among tertiary education graduates stood at a low 7.3%. But race dynamics came into play in employment amonth graduates. Only 17.6% of employed graduates were black, 13.3% coloured – while 48.8% were white and 39.6% Indian.
Lehohla had previously stressed that SA desperately needed to increase the number of black Africans and coloureds obtaining university education.
The 144 000 growth in jobs was largely observed in manufacturing (62 000), finance (49 000)andmining(26 000).
Lehohla said mining recorded growth for the first time since the first quarter of last year.
“Employment grew in all provinces quarter on quarter except in Eastern Cape and Limpopo,” said Lehohla.
Johannesburg was among the metros that saw no growth. Lindani Sani believes postapartheid South Africa has done little to improve his fortunes.
Sani, 58, who lives in Diepkloof, Soweto, has been unemployed for 18 years.
“The last time I was formally employed was in 1999,” said Sani, who does gardening, painting and waterproofing piece jobs for households in Johannesburg south.
“This government has not done anything for me. I’m forced to survive on piece jobs. Today I get employed by this person and tomorrow by another. It is tough, extremely tough,” said the father of three.
During the apartheid years, Sani worked for a factory in Johannesburg.
He became unemployed after he resigned when the factory moved to another town on the East Rand, because he felt he would not be able to afford the transport costs.
Sani forms part of the 27.7% of the working-age population which was unemployed in the first quarter of this year.
Sani, who is due to go on pension in two years, said he would continue with the piece jobs even when he starts receiving the pension.
Another job seeker, Molefi Ngoase, 28, graduated in 2014 from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in supply chain management.
“I held two jobs at the university’s book shop and at a private company between 2014 and 2015,” said Ngoase.
The company did not renew his contract when it ended.
“I’ve just completed my honors degree in supply chain management and marketing because I wanted to have better prospects of finding a job,” he said.
“While I have been doing my postgraduate degree I have been applying for a job, but I’m yet to receive a positive response,” said the father of one.
“I see a lot of posts relating to supply chain in Gauteng and I’m considering moving from KwaZulu-Natal to enhance my job opportunities,” he said.
‘‘ This government has not done anything for me