The number of employed people increased to 17.1 million, while the number of unemployed decreased by 360,000 to 8 million. Data released by Stats SA on Tuesday (11/11) show a decrease in the unemployment rate from 33.2% in the second quarter to 31.9% in the third quarter.

The potential labour force population increased by 230,000 to 4.5 million: discouraged jobseekers increased by 36,000 to 3.5 million, other available jobseekers by 130,000 to 965,000, and unavailable jobseekers by 64,000 to 83,000.

“There was some good news in the quarterly labour force survey data with approximately 248,000 new jobs created in the third quarter,” said NWU economist Waldo Krugell. “This was specifically in trade and in construction that did well, with some job losses in manufacturing.

“It is difficult to say how much of this is driven by a growing economy, as we do not have a third-quarter gross domestic product number yet. Stats SA also has a new way of reporting on the informal sector, and it will be interesting to look at these numbers going forward.

“We need to create many more jobs, and the key to this is private sector investment and getting business confidence up,” he said.

SA's employment rate by age group. Photo: oldmutual.co.za

Minister of public works and infrastructure Dean Macpherson welcomed the construction sector’s 130,000 new jobs in the third quarter. Six out of the ten occupational categories recorded employment gains, but half of the new jobs were created in construction.

He believed the construction sector is set to create even more jobs as reforms under the SA construction action plan are implemented, and public investment in infrastructure grows, he added. EWN reports the official unemployment rate decreased in seven provinces between the second and third quarters of the year; the largest decrease was recorded in Limpopo. 

However, the Eastern Cape was the exception, recording the only increase. Free State decreased by 2.3 percentage points to 36.2%, and North West decreased by 2 points to 38.1%.

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