What is the real unemployment trend in South Africa?

[Dave A]

Just to show you can do anything with stats:

Amid something of a furore over the news of a decline in South Africa's unemployment rate to 21,9%, Statistics South Africa said on Thursday during a briefing at Cosatu House that the lower rate is statistically correct.

This came after conducting an internal quality check, but does not mean jobs were created in high-paying areas, or growth engines, of the economy.

A number of commentators were highly critical of the fourth quarter labour force survey (QLFS) result of a decline in unemployment from 23,2% and an addition of 189 000 jobs at a time when GDP growth was reported at - 1,9%.

Rudi Dicks, executive director of the National Labour and Economic Development Institute (Naledi), who hosted the briefing, said the one concern was the disparity between GDP and the jobs report, while the other was how redefining what a discouraged work seeker is enabled a drop in the figure.

"We understand that this continues to be a high number, so is this political football?" asked Dicks.
full story from M&G here

And from there I lost the plot.

So is there less or more real unemployment in South Africa?
And what is a meaningful, realistic definition of an unemployed person anyway?

[insulin]

There is less unemployment in South Africa. However and please take the time to understand this correctly... More jobs are available thanks to sub contractors armed with black business. This being stated the actual jobs themselves are poor paying jobs with no benefits other than a R800 pay check with no future and no skills development program whatsoever. So yes there are more jobs and yes there are more poor people working but there is no wealth accumulation that is why the statistics are in a paradox right now.

Sad but true

[Dave A]

So are they measuring the right thing?

Maybe there should be a different bench mark - like people earning less than R500.00 per month, for example. Just sucked that figure out of the sky for now, but at this stage the point is the principle.

[insulin]

Yes you are 100% correct. The principle and benchmark mast chance because the so called job opportunities that exist is just enslaving the hungry and the desperate.

[flimsy]

Great discussion over here. This forum is quite relevant to get any kind of information. I will stick with it to get update about new industry update.


Thanks
flimsy