/* custom css */
.tdi_4_5e7.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_5e7.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }
South Africa is currently dealing with an incredibly high unemployment rate, one of its highest in history, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS). The latest QLFS results show that the official unemployment rate increased to 32,6% – the highest rate on its record.
The number of unemployed people remained relatively unchanged at more than 11.4-million people, however, Stats SA notes that this number may not be concrete considering the large number of non-economically active individuals who make up home-makers and/or previously discouraged workers at 17-million.
“The number of discouraged work-seekers increased by 201,000 (6.9%), and the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement, decreased by 38,000 (0.3%) between the two quarters, resulting in a net increase of 164,000 in the not economically active population,” Stats SA said.
/* custom css */
.tdi_3_fe5.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_fe5.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }
Risenga Maluleke, statistician-general at Stats SA, shares via the QLFS survey that the unemployment rate increased by 0.6 of a percentage to 43.2% in Q1 2021, compared to Q4 2020.
Key Insights about Education Level and Unemployment
QLFS’ survey reveals that the official unemployment rate among youth (15-34 years) was 46.3% in quarter 1, 2021. Amongst university graduates, the unemployment rate is 9.3%.
- The stats body’s data revealed that graduate unemployment is 23.3% points lower than the national official unemployment rate.
- Of the 7.2 million unemployed persons in Q1 of 2021, more than half (52.4%) had education below matric.
- Matriculants comprised 37.7% of the unemployed in Q1 2021.
- Only 7.5% of those surveyed had tertiary qualifications as their highest level of education.
Another interesting insight from Stats SA, is that 9 in 10 graduates (90%) received their full salaries in Q1 2021, while 16.6% of people with less than a matric received reduced pay in Q1 2021.
The National Figures are Misleading according to AIDC and AoU
The figures – the 0.1% increase to the narrow definition of unemployment and 0.6% increase to the expanded definition – are misleading, according to the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) and the Assembly of the Unemployed (AoU)
This is the case when one considers these numbers in relation to the fact that more than 1.3-million jobs were lost since the same time last year.
By Luis Monzon
Follow Luis Monzon on Twitter
Follow IT News Africa on Twitter
/* custom css */
.tdi_5_ee3.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_5_ee3.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; }
