A glimmer of hope seems to be emerging in South Africa, on the employment front. For the first time in two years, the official unemployment rate is slightly down in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter. While the country’s economy had been hit hard by the Covid pandemic, these latest figures are a step in the right direction for the government of Cyril Ramaphosa, but the situation is still far from being good.
With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Claire Bargeles
The unemployment rate now stands at 34.5% according to the South African Institute of Statistics (StatsSA), a drop of 0.8%. The first since July 2020. 370,000 jobs were created in the first quarter of the year, thanks in particular to government programs in the community and social services sectors. Industry and commerce also contributed to this improvement.
However, this good news should be put into perspective, because the number of people in employment, just under 15 million workers, is lower than before the Covid-19 pandemic. The country retains one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, and with an expanded definition that takes into account those who have given up looking for work, this rate even climbs to 45.5%, with young people assets which always remain the most vulnerable.
Finally, the statistics institute also indicates that these figures are to be taken with caution, while the pandemic has disrupted its data collection.