SA has lost almost 500,000 jobs in the first six months of 2016, raising the alarm about the blood bath that could follow should the country slide into recession.The outlook for job creation is bleak for the millions of unemployed, with economic growth forecast at close to zero."The employment picture is not looking great. We do not see any significant employment growth this year," FNB economist Mamello Matikinca said.The economy shed 355,000 jobs in the first quarter. About 129,000 more were lost in the second quarter, leaving the official unemployment rate little changed at 26.6% in the second quarter, Statistics SA’s quarterly labour force survey showed on Thursday.This meant 5.6-million people were jobless.The near-500,000 jobs shed in the economy in the first half of 2016 highlights the intense pressure the economy is under, particularly given crimped profitability in most sectors, BNP Paribas Securities economist Jeff Schultz said."This is unlikely to sit well with the governm...
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