The results further indicate that the number of employed persons increased by 43 000 to 16.4 million, while the number of unemployed persons decreased by 8 000 to 6.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke explains, “The gains were in the public service — the refuse removal and sewerage services which we have seen an increase of 113 000 jobs quarter on quarter. In finance and transport and construction, there have been increased. But the losses were in trade – 169 000 jobs. Other areas were manufacturing – 39 000 – and also in utilities, collections and distribution of electricity as well in water, we have lost 14 000 jobs quarter on quarter.
“Those with less than matric are actually even higher, they are sitting at about 60%, 61.8% to be exact. But not only that, we have about 10.3 million young people of ages 15 to 24 years old, of those 3.3 million of them are not in employment, schooling or training, so we call those the mid and those account for about 32%.”