Bay adds 15 000 jobs

Major centres doing well on employment, figures show

NEARLY 300 000 jobs were added to the economy during the third quarter, after declining in the first two quarters of this year, latest Statistic SA figures, released yesterday, showed.

And, in good news for Nelson Mandela Bay, the metro recorded gains of 15 000 jobs between the second and third quarters.

But the national unemployment rate still increased by 0.5 of a percentage point, to 27.1%, as 239 000 more people looked for work during the quarter.

Despite employment having grown by 288 000 jobs during the third quarter, 5.9 million South Africans are without work – the highest number since 2003.

Releasing the report and referring to the new jobs, statistician-general Pali Lehohla said: “When people see there is employment, they start looking for jobs.”

National figures showed that employment had been boosted by growth in the construction sector, which added 104 000 jobs, and in the finance and other business services categories, which added 103 000 employees.

The trade sector created 61 000 jobs and agriculture added 56 000 workers.

But community and social services and manufacturing lost 45 000 and 28 000 jobs respectively. Mining shed 9 000 jobs, adding to losses in the two previous quarters.

Lehohla said 52% of people employed during the third quarter were aged between 35 and 54.

In the youth employment category for people aged 15 to 34, the unemployment rate was 38.2%.

The expanded unemployment rate, which includes those who wanted work but did not look for jobs, was barely changed at 36.3% – a decline of just 0.1 of a percentage point from the previous quarter.

The survey also showed that unemployment was 1.6% higher compared to the same quarter last year. The survey covers labour market activities of people aged between 15 and 64 and revealed that there are 36.8 million people of working age in the country, while a total of 21.7-million people are in the labour force.

Of the 21.7 million, 5.9 million were unemployed at the time of the survey.

In addition, 15 million people out of the 36.8 million-strong working-age population were not economically active.

This figure, however, includes 2.3 million discouraged work seekers. They are described as being people who were not employed during the reference period, but wanted to work, were available to work or start a business but did not take active steps to find work during the last four weeks.

Between the second and third quarters, employment levels increased in all metros, apart from Mangaung where the number of employed declined by 7 000.

Ekurhuleni and the City of Tshwane recorded the highest gains in employment at 61 000 and 39 000 respectively.

They were followed by eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay which recorded increases of 15 000 jobs each.

When people see there is employment, they start looking for jobs