Formal employment plunged in the first quarter, reflecting SA’s inability to create sufficient employment opportunities to absorb new entrants into the labour market and the government’s inability to drive employment-stimulating policies.

Stats SA’s Quarterly Employment Statistics survey published on Tuesday shows the economy shed 21,000 jobs on a quarterly basis in the first quarter of 2023, bringing the level of employment to almost 10-million. Compared with March last year, 97,000 jobs were lost in the 12-month period. The decrease was observed across various sectors, though some experienced job gains...

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