SA's unemployment rate rises to 27.6% in first quarter of 2019

CAPE TOWN – Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2019.

In the survey, it shows during the first quarter that the unemployment rate in South Africa has increased to 27.6 percent.

When compared to the fourth quarter of 2018 which was at 27.1 percent, the absorption rate decreased by 0.7 percentage points to 42.6 percent, which resulted in the unemployment rate increasing by 0.5 points to 27.6 percent.

Stats SA said in a statement: "The increase in the unemployment rate is a result of a decline of 237 000 in the number of people in employment and an increase of 62 000 in the number of people who were unemployed between the fourth quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019."

According to Stats SA, A decline in employment was observed in all sectors (Formal sector, Informal sector, Agriculture and Private households) in the first quarter of 2019, compared to the fourth quarter of 2018.

"The net loss of 237 000 in the number of people in employment was mainly driven by Construction (142 000), followed by Finance (94 000), Community and social services (50 000), Private households (31 000), Mining (20 000) and Agriculture (12 000)," said Stats SA. 

Written by: Gabriella Steyn.

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