Key findings: P0277 - Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES), June 2018

Employment and earnings for the quarter ending June 2018

Employment decreased by 69 000 quarter-on-quarter, from 9 817 000 in March 2018 to 9 748 000 in June 2018. This was largely due to decreases in the following industries: community services (-67 000 or -2,5%), manufacturing (-13 000 or -1,1%), mining and quarrying (-2 000 or -0,4%) and transport (-2 000 or -0,4%).

The electricity industry remained unchanged.

However there were increases in the following industries: trade (7 000 or 0,3%), business services (7 000 or 0,3%), and construction (1 000 or 0,2%).

Employment increased by 13 000 or 0,1% year-on-year between June 2017 and June 2018. These increases were reported by: trade (24 000 or 1,1%), community services (22 000 or 0,8%) , and business services (18 000 or 0,8%).

The following industries reported annual decreases: mining and quarrying (-19 000 or -4,0%), construction (-14 000 or -2,3%) manufacturing (-12 000 or -1,0%),  transport (-4 000 or -0,9%) and electricity (-1 000 or -1,6%).

Gross earnings and average monthly earnings

Gross earnings paid to employees decreased by R5 188 million (-0,8%) from R632 018 million in March 2018 to R626 830 million in June 2018. The decrease was mainly due to the decreases in business services, mining and quarrying industries.
There were increases reported by community services, transport, construction, manufacturing, trade and electricity.

Year-on-year, gross earnings increased by R26 963 million or (4,5%).

Average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural sector increased from R19 853 in February 2018 to R20 176 in May 2018.

Statement issued by StatsSA, 26 September 2018. See full report here.