POLITICS

208,000 jobs lost in last quarter

Statistics South Africa says unemployment rate back up to 23,5%

JOHANNESBURG - The South African economy shed 208,000 jobs between the last quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. This is according to the recent Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa on Tuesday. The survey found that, in that period, 88,000 jobs had been lost in the formal sector, 96,000 in the informal sector, and 26,000 in agriculture.

The unemployment rate stood at 23,5%, up from 21,6% in the last quarter of 2008, and just under the rate at the beginning of last year.

The industries hardest hit by job losses were trade (143,000), manufacturing (62,000) and construction (65,000). Finance gained 89,000 jobs over the last quarter. The survey states that the highest number of job losses were recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (117,000) followed by Gauteng (49,000) and the Eastern Cape (47,000). The Western Cape saw a job gain of 34,000.

Table: Key findings of latest Labour Force Survey

 

Jan-Mar 2008

Oct-Dec 2008

Jan-Mar 2009

Qrt to Qrt change

Year on year change

 

Thousand

Population 15-64 yrs

30608

30894

30987

93

379

Labour force

17814

17718

17820

102

6

Employed

13623

13844

13636

-208

13

Formal sector (Non-agricultural)

9342

9537

9449

-88

107

Informal sector (Non-agricultural)

2319

2246

2150

-96

-169

Agriculture

799

764

738

-26

-61

Private households

1163

1298

1299

1

136

Unemployed

4191

3873

4184

311

-7

Not economically active

12794

13176

13166

-10

372

Discouraged work-seekers

1177

1168

1215

47

38

Other (not economically active)

11617

12008

11951

-57

334

Unemployment rate

23.53%

21.86%

23.48%

1.62%

-0.05%

Source: Statistics South Africa, Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 1 2009

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter