Unemployment rate rises, as manufacturing sector sheds 105,000 jobs
On the plus side, the mining sector added 38,000 jobs and youth unemployment declined slightly
SA’s unemployment rate worsened to 27.2% in the second quarter, from 26.7% in the first quarter, Statistics SA reported on Tuesday in its quarterly labour force survey. Manufacturing lost 105,000 jobs; community, social and personal services lost 93,000; and trade lost 57,000 jobs. On the plus side, transport added 54,000 jobs, construction added 45,000 and mining added 38,000. While mining has taken strain, job increases were seen in nonferrous metal ores, gold and uranium ore. Statistician-general Risenga Maluleke said: "These are the areas that have observed gains. In other areas, strains would have been felt but the net effect was the increase of 38,000 jobs." The expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged work seekers, increased by 0.5 percentage points to 37.2%. The number of discouraged work seekers increased to 2.9-million people during this period while the working-age population increased by 154,000 people. The Free State suffered the largest increase in its un...
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