The unemployment rate was 27.2 percent compared with 26.7 percent in the previous three months, Statistics South Africa said in a report released on Tuesday in the capital, Pretoria.
The manufacturing industry lost the most jobs in the quarter, employing 105,000 less people than in the first three months of the year. Community and social-services, which includes the government, shed 93,000.
Africa's most-industrialised economy is struggling to create jobs as it hasn't expanded at more than 2 percent since 2013. For the past two years, more than one in four people in the workforce has been unemployed. Per-capita economic growth has turned negative, and South Africa has the highest income inequality among nations measured by the International Monetary Fund, the Washington-based lender said Monday.
In his previous role as deputy leader of the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa helped initiate talks with the private sector on a jobs program and in March the country announced a Youth Employment Services pact that will offer 1 million young people paid internships over the next three years.
The number of people employed declined by 90,000 to 16.29 million, while those without jobs rose 102,000 to 6.08 million.
Here are some highlights from the statement:
- Mining gained 38,000 jobs
- The construction industry employed 45,000 more
- Trade lost 57,000 jobs
- Transport gained 54,000
SA unemployment rate rose sharply to 27.2% in Q2 2018, with the economy losing 90 000 jobs in the qaurter. Number of discouraged workers also noticeably high and at record levels
By Kevin Lings*
Stats SA released the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for Q2 2018 today. The LFS is a quarterly household survey specifically designed to measure the dynamics of employment and unemployment in South Africa, including the informal sector as well as small-scale subsistence farmers. The following is a summary of the key trends in the labour market as at Q2 2018 (see charts attached for further information).
In Q2 2018, there were 37.832 million people aged between 15 and 64 years in SA (up 154 000 relative to Q1 2018, and up 615 000 over the past year).
Among these people:
- 22.370 million were economically active (up 12 000 relative to Q1 2018, and up 94 000 year-on-year)
- 16.288 million were employed (down 90 000 relative to Q1 2018, and up 188 000 year-on-year)
- 6.083 million were unemployed (up 102 000 relative to Q1 2018, but down 94 000 year-on-year, helped by the massive increase in the number of discouraged workers)