Kaya 959 Reporter
South Africa’s has hit an all-time high record rate of unemployment. Over the last year there’re been jobs bloodbath.
The rate has reached a record 34.9% for the third quarter – half a percentage point higher than in the second quarter.
Almost half of people who are willing and able to work can not find work.
Also Read: Govt sets aside R26.7bn for continuation of R350 COVID-19 grant
The unemployment rate among women was 37.3% in the third quarter of 2021 compared to 32.9% among men. Black African women (41.5% unemployment) were hardest hit, compared to 9.9% among white women, 25.2% among Indian/Asian women and 29.1% among coloured women.
Some 3.4 million (33.5%) out of 10.2 million young people aged between 15 to 24 years were not in employment, education or training.
Nzinga Qunta recently spoke to Nedbank’s Isaac Matshego, and COSATU’s Sizwe Pamla to unpack what the impact of unemployment is South Africa and what need’s to happen for thing to turn around.
Also Read: Thomas and Skhumba: How are you encouraging unemployed friends and family members?
Matshego says that job losses and both disappointing and were expected with the emergence of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Cosatu said the unemployment statistics continued to worsen regardless of growth rates after the relaxation of the hard lock down levels since the second quarter of 2020.
“This goes to the heart of the non-employment-generating growth trajectory of the country that must be addressed through the reconstruction of the economy,” spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said.
Pamla said the country’s economy was vulnerable due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the potential of travel bans by the rest of the world.
